Author: Griz

I am a cyber professional who has been computing since the late 1970s. My goal is to help our readers understand cybersecurity, for either protecting themselves, their family, or offices. A secondary goal is to help people into the cybersecurity field as a career.

How Do You Get Cybersecurity Experience When Every Job Wants Experience?

One of the most frustrating things about trying to enter cybersecurity is opening an “entry-level” job posting and discovering that it wants: Two or three years of experience Several certifications Experience with half a dozen tools Cloud knowledge Scripting ability Incident response experience And apparently the ability to bend time That last one is only…

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There Is No Perfect Path Into Cybersecurity

A lot of people interested in cybersecurity seem to believe there is a correct sequence they are supposed to follow. Get this degree. Earn these certifications. Take this entry-level job. Spend exactly this many years doing that. Then, somehow, cybersecurity happens. That is certainly one way to get there. It is not the only way….

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Cybersecurity Career Paths: What the Jobs Actually Do

One of the first things people discover when they start looking at cybersecurity careers is that the word cybersecurity does not describe one job. Not even close. It describes a whole ecosystem of jobs, specialties, personalities, and skill sets. That matters because someone can look at one corner of cybersecurity, decide it looks painfully boring,…

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So You Want to Work in Cybersecurity? Start With What Hooks You

One of the questions cybersecurity professionals hear all the time is some variation of: “My kid wants to work in cybersecurity. Where should they start?” Or maybe it is a friend, nephew, coworker, neighbor, or somebody’s teenager who spends suspicious amounts of time taking computers apart. It sounds like an easy question. It is not….

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The Telegram “Friendly Stranger” Scam: Anatomy, Indicators, and Defensive Actions

A growing class of social engineering attacks is leveraging messaging platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp to build rapport with targets over time and ultimately extract money or sensitive information. These operations are structured, patient, and highly effective because they rely on trust development rather than immediate exploitation. This article outlines the attack lifecycle, key indicators,…

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FWB Scammers

Since this is an all ages site, I will handle this with some care. FWB (AKA Friends With Benefits) Scammers are likely not trying to approach women, so ladies, perhaps this is one of the few bonuses for your sex. I have interacted with a few of these scammers in the last week or so….

Telegram scammers

This may not be a true scam as I have yet to determine their true motive. This is a snip of a chat that I have had a number of times. (I do not recommend engaging with suspected scammers. I only do for educational purposes, either to share here or to enrich my professional life.)…

Do you use read receipts?

Why Read Receipts Can Be a Double-Edged Sword Read receipts, those seemingly innocuous notifications that inform you when someone has read your message, have become a common feature in our digital communication landscape. However, beneath their unassuming appearance lies a complex web of emotions, social dynamics, and privacy concerns. Let’s delve into why read receipts…

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Just how much data do you volunteer in social media?

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The Human Firewall: Your First Line of Defense

Imagine your workplace as a grand castle, fortified with walls, moats, and watchtowers. But amidst all the stone and steel, there exists a vital yet often overlooked defense: the human firewall. This invisible shield is composed of every employee—the knights, scribes, and jesters—who interact with the digital realm. Reporting Suspect Phishing Emails: A Heroic Quest Now,…

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