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When a Phishing Email is Too Good?
If one of the methods to spot a phishing email is to look for poor grammar, spelling errors, word choice, etc., then it is clear to see...
Ralph Labarta
Dec 4, 20241 min read


Technology: Harris vs Trump
A recent Wall Street Journal article, Clash of the Tech Titans: Silicon Valley Fractures Over Harris vs. Trump , highlights the...
Ralph Labarta
Sep 3, 20242 min read


Hacking of Trump Campaign Reminder of 2016
The hacking of Trump campaign emails and attempted hacks of Harris campaign staff emails highlights the challenges facing IT...
Ralph Labarta
Aug 21, 20241 min read


CrowdStrike Outage Highlights Vendor Risk
Vendor Risk was often a featured item in board updates during my time as CIO. It was nearly always elevated to a "moderate" risk level beca
Ralph Labarta
Jul 22, 20242 min read


Downsizing and Managing Technology Risk
IT labor costs represent a sizable share of IT budgets and unfortunately represent the easiest way to realize immediate cost reductions.
Ralph Labarta
Jul 9, 20242 min read


Case Study: The Impact of Turnover on Security and Availability
A client recently experienced the departure of their CIO along with members of the IT staff. The management team raised concerns about...
Ralph Labarta
Apr 23, 20242 min read


Board of Directors Cybersecurity Responsibility
The fundamental responsibility of the board is to ensure a cyber program is in-place that addresses the organization's cyber risk.
Ralph Labarta
Apr 3, 20242 min read


Backup Recovery Key Success Point in Ransomware Battle
A successful backup and recovery capability has long been a cornerstone of any business continuity strategy. But the effectiveness of...
Ralph Labarta
Mar 4, 20243 min read


Cyber Risk, Financial Impact and Materiality
When consulting with small to medium sized business, one of the overarching topics is the cost of cyber security. Leaders understand the...
Ralph Labarta
Mar 1, 20242 min read


AI Impacting Security Today
A client recently asked about the impact AI would have on their security efforts. I had to first redirect the timeline away from the...
Ralph Labarta
Feb 29, 20242 min read
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