Author Archive

Understanding E-Skimming

Thursday, May 8th, 2025

Protecting Your Online Transactions from Cyber Threats In today’s digital age, e-commerce has become an integral part of our daily lives, offering unparalleled convenience and accessibility. However, this convenience comes with its own set of challenges, particularly concerning cybersecurity. One of the most insidious threats facing online businesses and consumers alike is e-skimming. This comprehensive […]

Government Contractors at Risk

Wednesday, April 30th, 2025

DOJ Cybersecurity Crackdowns & FCA Liability Signal a New Era of Enforcement As the cybersecurity threat landscape continues to escalate, government contractors—especially those working with the Department of Defense (DOD)—are finding themselves under increasing scrutiny. In a landmark development, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced a $4.6 million False Claims Act (FCA) settlement […]

Introducing Petronella’s Done-With-You CMMC Compliance Packages

Wednesday, February 19th, 2025

A Streamlined Path to Security and Success The cybersecurity landscape has never been more complex. As cyber threats evolve in sophistication and persistence, organizations of all sizes are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate ever-changing regulatory requirements. This is especially true for companies operating in the defense industrial base (DIB), which must meet stringent standards […]

Crypto SIM Swap Scams

Wednesday, February 19th, 2025

The Importance of Investing in Cybersecurity In recent years, cryptocurrencies have soared in popularity and value. Entire industries have sprung up around blockchain-based assets, with major companies accepting them as valid payments and institutional investors jumping on board. However, with the rapid growth of any new technology—particularly one involving financial transactions—comes a parallel rise in […]

Crypto Romance Scams

Wednesday, February 19th, 2025

Understanding the Threat and Protecting Your Digital Assets Cryptocurrency has revolutionized the way we handle money. With its decentralized nature, lightning-fast cross-border transactions, and the promise of anonymity, crypto has emerged as an attractive alternative to traditional banking systems. However, as digital assets become more mainstream, malicious actors have also found new ways to exploit […]

Pig Butchering Scams

Wednesday, February 19th, 2025

Understanding Pig Butchering Scams and the Critical Need for Robust Blockchain Security In recent years, a growing number of individuals have fallen prey to a new breed of online fraud known colloquially as the “pig butchering” scam. Despite the name’s odd ring, there is nothing humorous or trivial about these swindles. They are sophisticated, high-stakes […]

SIM Swap Crypto Expert Witness with Craig Petronella of PetronellaTech.com

Monday, February 3rd, 2025

Introduction In the rapidly evolving world of cryptocurrency, new possibilities for financial independence and digital asset ownership continue to emerge. Yet, as with any technology-driven frontier, vulnerabilities also abound. From phishing emails to ransomware campaigns, cybercriminals actively seek novel methods to exploit unsuspecting targets. Among these threats, SIM swapping has quickly become one of the […]

A Comprehensive Guide to Setting up Your YubiKey on iOS for Enhanced Security

Wednesday, January 15th, 2025

In the modern digital landscape, security threats lurk around every corner. Whether it’s ransomware, phishing schemes, or account hijacking attempts, individuals and organizations alike are constantly seeking more robust ways to safeguard their sensitive data. One proven method for leveling up security is the use of a hardware security key—particularly, the YubiKey. YubiKey is developed […]

Navigating FTC Compliance and Cybersecurity Mandates

Wednesday, January 8th, 2025

Navigating FTC Compliance and Cybersecurity Mandates: A Comprehensive Guide for Real Estate Firms, CPA Firms, Automotive Dealerships, and Financial Institutions The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has long championed consumer protection in the United States. This mission includes promoting fair competition, ensuring consumer privacy, and cracking down on deceptive or unfair business practices. In the modern […]

Security Risk Assessments: CMMC Requirement

Thursday, November 14th, 2024

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a framework established by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to enhance the cybersecurity posture of organizations within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). A fundamental component of this framework is the requirement for organizations to conduct comprehensive risk assessments. For a CMMC auditor, reviewing a successfully completed risk […]

Understanding The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Safeguards Rule, GLBA requirements for CPA Firms

Tuesday, November 12th, 2024

The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Safeguards Rule, established under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), plays a pivotal role in ensuring the security and confidentiality of consumer financial information. This comprehensive regulation mandates that financial institutions develop, implement, and maintain robust information security programs to protect customer data from unauthorized access and potential breaches. Understanding the Gramm-Leach-Bliley […]

Passkeys vs. Passwords

Friday, November 1st, 2024

The Next Generation of Online Security In the ever-evolving landscape of digital security, passwords have long been the standard method of authentication. From early email systems to modern online banking and social media accounts, passwords have served as the gatekeepers of our digital identities. However, as cyber threats become more sophisticated, the limitations of passwords […]

Business Email Compromise (BEC) Prevention and Investigation Guide

Friday, November 1st, 2024

Overview of BEC Risks and Consequences Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a cybercrime that uses fraudulent emails to manipulate employees into transferring funds or sharing sensitive data. The FBI reports that BEC has impacted over 22,000 companies with losses exceeding $3 billion, and incidents rose 1300% between 2015 and 2017. Yet many organizations lack adequate […]

FBI Issues Warning for Gmail, Outlook, AOL, and Yahoo Users

Friday, November 1st, 2024

Hackers Are Bypassing MFA To Breach Accounts and Cause Business Email Compromise This week, the FBI issued a new warning, alerting users of popular email platforms like Microsoft 365, Google Gmail, Outlook, AOL, and Yahoo that cybercriminals are gaining unauthorized access to accounts, even those protected by multifactor authentication (MFA). These attacks often start with […]

The Importance of an Incident Response (IR) Tabletop Exercise

Friday, November 1st, 2024

In the increasingly digital landscape of today’s world, organizations face a variety of cyber threats. With the rise of ransomware, phishing, insider threats, and other forms of cybercrime, it’s no longer a question of if an organization will be targeted, but when. An Incident Response (IR) tabletop exercise is a structured scenario-based activity that enables […]

The Importance of a Disaster Recovery (DR) Tabletop Exercise

Friday, November 1st, 2024

In a world where digital transformation and interconnectivity are at the forefront of business operations, the potential for a major disruption is ever-present. From natural disasters and cyber-attacks to hardware failures and human errors, businesses are vulnerable to a wide range of risks that could lead to downtime, data loss, and operational disruption. To combat […]

How To Make Microsoft 365’s Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as secure as possible

Friday, November 1st, 2024

1. Use Strong MFA Methods 2. Enable Conditional Access Policies 3. Implement Number Matching in Microsoft Authenticator 4. Enable Anti-Phishing Techniques like FIDO2/WebAuthn Authentication 5. Use Session Management Policies 6. Monitor and Respond to Unusual MFA Activity 7. Educate Users About MFA Security Practices 8. Enforce Device Compliance By combining these practices, you can significantly […]

Top 10 Security Practices for Microsoft 365: Keeping Your Business Safe in the Cloud

Friday, November 1st, 2024

Introduction Microsoft 365 (M365) is one of the most widely used cloud-based productivity suites, offering powerful tools for communication, collaboration, and data storage. However, as organizations increasingly rely on Microsoft 365, they become more attractive targets for cyberattacks. Securing your M365 environment is essential to protect sensitive information, maintain productivity, and ensure compliance. In this […]

Top 3 MFA Bypass Attacks: MFA Fatigue, Token Theft, and Machine-in-the-Middle Attacks

Friday, November 1st, 2024

Introduction As cyber threats evolve, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) has become a widely adopted standard for securing accounts by requiring multiple forms of verification beyond just a password. While MFA significantly raises the barrier for attackers, it isn’t invulnerable. Attackers have adapted to bypass MFA by exploiting human behavior, social engineering, and technical vulnerabilities. In this […]

Securing Microsoft 365 to Defend Against Machine-in-the-Middle (MitM) MFA Attacks

Friday, November 1st, 2024

Introduction Microsoft 365 is one of the most popular cloud-based productivity suites, providing organizations with essential tools for collaboration, communication, and data storage. With so much valuable information housed within the platform, Microsoft 365 is an attractive target for cybercriminals. Although Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) offers an essential layer of security beyond just passwords, attackers are […]