Vulnerability Management Lifecycle: 6 Stages Explained
Every organization I’ve worked with owns a vulnerability scanner. Far fewer own a working vulnerability management lifecycle — and the difference shows up the same way every time: a report with 40,000 findings that nobody reads, and an unpatched server that everyone assumed someone else was handling. Scanning is easy. Management is the hard part. […]
Mathematical Attacks in Cyber Security: Types & Examples
If you’re studying for Security+ or CISSP, sooner or later this question shows up: what are mathematical attacks in cyber security? The short version: they’re attacks aimed at the math behind encryption itself. Not the software around it. Not the person using it. The math. The short version is enough to pass the exam question. […]
Whaling Phishing: How Attackers Hunt Executives (2026)
Most phishing casts a wide net. Whaling phishing brings a harpoon. Instead of blasting thousands of inboxes with generic bait, whaling targets one specific, high-value person — a CEO, CFO, or senior executive — with a message researched and written just for them. The stakes match the targeting: a single successful whaling attack can move […]
What to Do If You Click on a Phishing Link: 7 Steps
You just realized you clicked on a phishing link. First: don’t panic — what you do in the next ten minutes matters far more than the click itself. However, do act now, because speed is your biggest advantage. Follow the seven steps below in order, then read on to understand what actually happens when you […]
10 Phishing Email Examples You Need to See (2026)
The fastest way to stop falling for phishing is to see it coming — and the fastest way to see it coming is to study real phishing email examples. Attackers reuse the same handful of psychological plays over and over: urgency, authority, curiosity, fear. Once you’ve seen each play annotated, you’ll recognize it instantly in […]
How to Report Phishing in Outlook: Every Version (2026)
A suspicious email just landed in your inbox — now what? Knowing how to report phishing in Outlook takes about ten seconds once you know where the button is. However, most people either delete the email (which helps nobody) or ignore it (which helps the attacker). Reporting it properly trains Microsoft’s filters, alerts your IT […]
IT Leadership Mistakes I Made Leading My First Team
The first time I stepped into an IT leadership role, I relied on what had always worked for me: be the expert, solve the problem, move fast. For a while, it worked. Until it didn’t. Looking back, my early leadership mistakes were common ones. I was promoted because I could deliver results, solve technical issues, […]
People, Process, Technology: The Real Key to Cybersecurity
Walk into almost any IT department and you’ll hear the same refrain: “We need better security tools.” However, after decades working in public-sector IT, utilities, and large municipal organizations, I’ve reached a different conclusion. Most breaches don’t happen because a firewall failed — they happen because the people, process, technology triad fell out of alignment. […]
Resilience in Leadership: Navigating the Seasons of Success
Every leader’s career moves through seasons — quiet ones where the work is invisible, and loud ones where every decision is watched. What separates leaders who burn out from leaders who last isn’t talent or timing. Furthermore, it’s resilience in leadership: the capacity to keep making sound decisions as visibility, pressure, and responsibility all grow […]
The Weight of Thirty-Five Thousand (35,000) Choices: Decisions, Narratives, and the Triad of Purpose
The Weight of Thirty-Five Thousand (35,000) Choices: Decisions, Narratives, and the Triad of Purpose Researchers have found that the average person makes around 35,000 decisions every day. These daily decisions may seem small, but they play a powerful role in daily decisions and personal growth. From the moment we wake up to the final action […]