Cybersecurity, explained without the fear
Cybersecurity is the practice of keeping digital systems and data usable, private, and intact. Here's what it actually involves — and what protects you most.
6 min read · Field guide↗
The field manual / practical foundations
Build your
defensive instincts.
Twelve substantial guides from the original research edition. From the first controls to incident response, each page connects the explanation to a next step.
12 pieces · September 2026 reference edition
Seven years that changed cybersecurity: 2019 to 2026
Every piece of current security advice came from a specific failure. Here are the incidents between 2019 and 2026 that produced the rules everyone now follows.
8 min read · Field guide↗
The 2026 threat landscape: what the data says, and what it doesn't
Vulnerability exploitation overtook stolen credentials as the leading breach vector in 2026. Here's what the major reports found — and where they disagree.
6 min read · Field guide↗
Ransomware attacks are up. Payments are down. Both are true.
Ransomware attacks rose about 50% in 2025 while payments fell to around $820M and the payment rate hit a record low near 28%. Here is what drove the split.
6 min read · Field guide↗
Minimum viable security: twelve controls, one page
The twelve security controls that do most of the work, mapped to CISA's performance goals and CIS Controls IG1. Printable, and ordered by what to do first.
6 min read · Field guide↗
How to choose an EDR without reading a single vendor datasheet
A practical method for evaluating endpoint detection and response: what to test, what evidence to demand, and why the product matters less than who watches it.
6 min read · Field guide↗
Which security framework do you actually need?
NIST CSF, ISO 27001, SOC 2, CIS Controls, PCI DSS — what each one is for, what it costs, and how to pick without buying a compliance programme you don't need.
7 min read · Field guide↗
Vulnerability scan or penetration test? The difference is what you're paying for
A scan finds possible problems. A penetration test proves real ones. Here's how to tell them apart, what each costs, and how to spot a scan sold as a test.
6 min read · Field guide↗
Ransomware response playbook: the first hour, and everything after
What to do in the first hour of a ransomware attack, who to call and in what order, how the payment decision works, and the mistakes that make recovery worse.
7 min read · Field guide↗
Cybersecurity is not an entry-level field. Here's how people actually get in.
The job data honestly: real demand at mid and senior level, a hard entry level, and the routes that actually work — including two nobody mentions.
6 min read · Field guide↗
AI and cybersecurity: production-ready, experimental, or marketing?
A category-by-category assessment of AI security claims — what's genuinely working, what's still research, and what's a slide deck with a price tag.
7 min read · Field guide↗
The scams targeting people right now — and what to do if you're caught
Investment scams, fake tech support, romance fraud and voice-cloned relatives. How to recognise each one, what to do immediately, and where to report it.
7 min read · Field guide↗
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