Cybersecurity Starts With You: Lessons From Phishing, Ransomware, and Real-World Mistakes

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, see how real-world phishing and ransomware attacks reveal why every employee plays a role in protection.

Picture this: You open your inbox and see an urgent email from your CEO asking you to wire funds immediately. It looks real. The logo, the tone, even the signature line. It’s all spot on.

But here’s the catch: your CEO never sent it.

This type of scheme is one of the costliest cybercrimes in the world. Instead of hacking networks, criminals impersonate trusted colleagues or partners, then pressure employees into wiring money, sharing credentials, or opening malicious links. The FBI reports that billions are lost each year to these kinds of scams, and they succeed because they prey on human trust.

While IT teams install firewalls and monitor networks, the truth is simple: employees are both the greatest security risk and the strongest defense ...