Texas Developer Sentenced to 4 Years for “Kill Switch” Cyberattack on Former Employer

A former Eaton Corp. software developer received a 4-year federal prison sentence for deploying a “kill switch” that locked out thousands of users and caused over $360,000 in damages. Learn what happened and key lessons for businesses to prevent insider threats.

Microsoft — Yep, You Read That Right, Microsoft — Just Got Hit With a Successful Cyber Attack! What Does this Mean for Your Company?

“There is no such thing as ‘secure’ when it comes to cybersecurity.” “The odds in cybersecurity are impossible — those defending have to get it right 100% of the time and those attacking only need one lucky shot.” These are a few of the sayings that I have used throughout the years when trying to …

DFW Area Friends – Join Me to Talk Real World Cyber Incident Response and Preparation at Tech Titans’ Cybersecurity Forum

Your organization has been breached, now what? That’s the title of our discussion at Tech Titans’ Cybersecurity Forum this Thursday, December 14, 2023, from 3:30 – 6:00 PM in Richardson, Texas. This event is available for both members of Tech Titans and non-menbers and you can register at this link: https://business.techtitans.org/events/details/cybersecurity-forum-december-14-2023-4826?calendarMonth=2023-12-01 I will be moderating …

Feds Will Not Charge Good Faith Security Research Under the CFAA

On May 19, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice directed prosecutors to not charge security researchers who report cybersecurity vulnerabilities in “good faith” with violations of the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). The DOJ’s press release titled Department of Justice Announces New Policy for Charging Cases under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act …

Why does cyber warfare involving Russia and Ukraine increase the risk of cyberattacks against your business?

There are many reasons why the ongoing cyber warfare involving Russia and Ukraine increases the risk of cyberattacks against your business, but, one of the simplest explanations comes from a recent joint FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cybersecurity Advisory (Destructive Malware Targeting Organizations in Ukraine) that was published on February 26, 2022: …

Increased Ransomware Threat in Wake of Russia Invasion of Ukraine — Shawn Tuma Discusses

With the Russian invasion of Ukraine well underway, cyber warfare and increased ransomware activity are imminent. Shawn Tuma was a guest on KNX News to discuss the implications for Americans from the government level down to the mom and pop businesses. Listen to the interview HERE. A senior FBI official has asked businesses and local …

StopRansomware.gov – the U.S. Government’s One-Stop Resource for Ransomware

The U.S. Government has launched a new resource to help combat the ransomware pandemic. Below is the relevant information it has shared: The U.S. Government launched a new website to help public and private organizations defend against the rise in ransomware cases. StopRansomware.gov is a whole-of-government approach that gives one central location for ransomware resources …

MFA Could Have Prevented the Ransomware Attack on Colonial Pipeline, According to its CEO

On June 8, 2021, Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount testified to a U.S. Senate committee about the recent ransomware attack on the company. While most of the attention to his testimony has been focused on the propriety of paying the roughly $4.4 million ransom payment to the DarkSide hacking group, I believe there is a …

Ransomware Attacks! The 5 Best Practices the White House Urges all Businesses to Take to Mitigate Them

The threat of ransomware attacks against all American businesses is so great that on June 2, 2021, the White House issued a memo to all corporate executives and business leaders with the subject “What We Urge You To Do To Protect Against The Threat of Ransomware.” This is the first time such a memo has ever been …

Working From Home During COVID-19? Five Things You Should be Doing–But Probably Are Not–To Be More Cyber Secure (publication)

Many thanks to the Texas Bar Journal for publishing my recent article, Working From Home During COVID-19? Five Things You Should be Doing–But Probably Are Not–To Be More Cyber Secure, in the Cybersecurity Issue: Without an understanding of the particular organization or the unique risks it faces, it is impossible to know what is best or …