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OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence)

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  We all like to post online to show what we’re up to so others can see — for example, vacation pictures. But all this can give strangers a lot of information about us. OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) is the process of collecting information that is already public. Hackers can use OSINT to: Guess your passwords. Find out where you live or work. Know when you are not home. Send fake messages that look real. Examples of oversharing that can put you at risk: Posting a picture of your car with the license plate visible. Sharing your pet’s name (often used in passwords). Announcing travel plans before you go. Posting photos with work ID badges in the background. How to stay safe: Check and update your privacy settings regularly. Don’t post your location in real time. Keep birthdays, phone numbers, and addresses private. Use strong passwords that don’t include personal details. Remember: Once you post something online, it can stay there fo...
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St. Paul Cyberattack

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  Hi everyone!  Welcome back to Cyber Secure Weekly Blog . This week, we’re talking about something big that happened right here in Minnesota  a real cyberattack on the City of St. Paul . What Happened? In late July 2025, the city of St. Paul was hit by a cyberattack. Hackers broke into the city’s computer systems. It wasn’t just a glitch — it was a serious attack by people who knew what they were doing. To protect the city, officials had to shut down internet, emails, and Wi-Fi in city buildings like libraries and offices. City workers had to go back to pen and paper! Who Responded? Because this attack was so serious, the Minnesota National Guard’s cyber team was called in. This is the first time they’ve been used like this inside the state. The FBI and FEMA are also helping investigate. The goal: find out who did this and make sure it doesn’t happen again. What Services Were Affected?  Public Wi-Fi stopped working City employees couldn’t access emails or sys...
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TEAP App Hack — What Happened and How to Stay Safe

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  Hi everyone! 👋 This week’s post is about a serious cybersecurity issue involving a fast-growing women-only app called TEA (also known as the TEAP app ). If you've seen it in the news lately, it's because of a major data breach that affected tens of thousands of users. Let's break down what the TEAP app is, what happened during the hack, and what steps you can take to protect yourself. What is the TEAP App? The TEA app is a private, women-only platform where users can anonymously review and share information about men especially for dating safety. Think of it like a “Yelp for exes” or a modern version of the whisper network. What Happened? Recently, hackers found a way to break into TEAP’s system. This allowed them to access users’ personal information such as names, email addresses, and possibly more sensitive data. The breach caused a lot of worry because it can lead to identity theft or fraud if that information falls into the wrong hands. How Did the Hack Hap...
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🧠 Deepfakes: What They Are and Why We All Need to Pay Attention

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  👋 Hello and Welcome! As technology grows, so do the risks we face online. One of the biggest and fastest-growing threats in 2025 is something called a deepfake  and it’s more than just a funny video. It’s a serious cybersecurity concern that affects all of us. In this blog, I’ll explain what deepfakes are, how they work, and why we need to protect ourselves from them.  🤖 What Is a Deepfake? A deepfake is a video, audio, or image that has been changed using artificial intelligence (AI) to look or sound real — but it’s completely fake. For example: A video might show a person saying something they never actually said. A voice recording could sound exactly like your friend or boss — but it’s not really them. Deepfakes are made to trick people , and today, they’re more realistic than ever. 🛠 How Do Deepfakes Work? Deepfakes are created using a type of AI called deep learning . Computers study real pictures, videos, and voices of a person, and then use that...
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Insider Threats: Why Who You Hire Matters for Cybersecurit

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  In 2024, something surprising happened at a cybersecurity company called KnowBe4. They almost hired a person who turned out to be a hacker from North Korea. Luckily, they found out before the person started working there. This shows us an important lesson: not all hackers attack from outside a company. Sometimes, the threat comes from people inside the company . These can be workers who want to cause harm, or even people hired by other countries trying to steal secrets or cause problems. Why Is This a Big Deal? Some countries try to sneak their hackers into important companies by hiring them as employees. These “insider threats” are very dangerous because once inside, they have more access to sensitive information and systems. Experts say companies must be very careful during hiring and must keep watching their workers to catch any suspicious actions. What Can Companies Do to Stay Safe? Check carefully before hiring anyone, especially for important jobs like IT or securit...
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Multi-Factor Authentication – A Simple Step That Stops Hackers

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  Article Topic : “Why MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) is No Longer Optional” This week, I explored a short but important article from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) about Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). 🔗 Read the article here  What is MFA? Multi-Factor Authentication means using more than one method to log into your account like a password plus a code sent to your phone. It adds an extra layer of security even if your password is stolen. Key Points I Learned: MFA blocks 99% of automated attacks It's now available on most major platforms like Google, Apple, and banks Cybercriminals rely on stolen passwords, but MFA stops them My Reflection: This article helped me understand how simple but powerful Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) really is when it comes to protecting accounts. Before reading it, I assumed that having a strong password was enough to keep my information safe. But now I realize that even strong passwords can b...
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IoT boosts the Shadow IT threat

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 This week, I read a fascinating article about how the Internet of Things (IoT) is making it harder for companies to control what’s connected to their networks introducing serious Shadow IT risks . Shadow IT refers to the use of technology (like apps, software, or devices) without the knowledge or approval of the IT department. Many people bring their own smart devices to work such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, or smart speakers and connect them to the company’s Wi-Fi. These devices often have weak security and go undetected by the IT team. That’s where the risk comes in. Hackers can target these devices to sneak into company networks, steal data, or cause system damage. 🔐 Key Takeaways: IoT devices are growing quickly and aren’t always secure. IT teams need better tools to detect unknown devices on their networks. Policies, network segmentation, and user education are essential to reduce this risk. 📌 My Reflection: I found this article really usefu...
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