Galactic Research: Articles & Insights
Part 1: The AI Implementation Question Is Coming. Are You Ready to Answer?
I had lunch a few weeks ago with an executive at a financial services firm, the kind of client every security advisor quietly hopes for: growing, regulated, complex enough to need real security help and profitable enough to pay for ...
AI Security
Part 1: The AI Implementation Question Is Coming. Are You Ready to Answer?
I had lunch a few weeks ago with an executive at a financial services firm, the kind of client every security advisor quietly hopes for: growing, regulated, complex enough to need real security help and profitable enough to pay for ...
OpenClaw's Marketplace Got Stuffed With Malware. Here's Why That Was Always Going to Happen.
What a Malware-Filled AI Agent Marketplace Tells Us About How the Industry Keeps Making the Same Mistake I've spent the better part of my career watching organizations adopt new technology faster than they can secure it, and documenting what happens ...
The Deepfake Was Convincing. So Was My Backpack.
Why Social Engineering Still Works, Why AI is Making it Sharper, and the One Habit that Stops it In early 2024, an employee at Arup, a global engineering firm, joined a video call with several colleagues, including someone who appeared ...
Threat Intelligence
Threat Thursday: June 18th, 2026
Welcome to Threat Thursday, Galactic's weekly threat intelligence roundup. Every Thursday we break down the cybersecurity stories that matter most for protecting your organization, with each item split into what happened, what it could mean for you, and what to ...
Threat Thursday: June 11th, 2026
Welcome to Threat Thursday, Galactic's weekly threat intelligence roundup. This week's stories share one theme: the gap between a vulnerability becoming public and a working exploit existing is collapsing toward hours, and the coordinated disclosure process meant to give defenders ...
Threat Thursday: June 4th, 2026
Welcome to Threat Thursday, Galactic's weekly threat intelligence roundup. This week's stories have a clear pattern: attackers didn't find obscure entry points or novel techniques but instead went after the things you were already using and already trusting. As always, ...
Security Education
Vulnerabilities Are Now the #1 Way In. The Window to Fix Them Is Closing.
Most of the time, I didn't break into a network so much as let myself in through something with a fix already out (just not installed yet): the VPN concentrator three versions behind, the firewall with a known vulnerability fixed ...
Your OSINT Reality Check: Here’s What an Attacker Is Finding in 30 Minutes or Less
Today’s connected, AI-driven digital ecosystem has made it easier than ever to build a professional brand, network with peers, and share ideas with a wider audience. It’s opened doors for businesses that simply didn't exist before: new customers, new partnerships, ...
Part 2: Threat Actors Don't Pick You. You Just Happen to Be There.
In Part 1, we established that Handala didn't pick Stryker off a strategic target list and then figure out how to break in. They found access, recognized the value, and used it. That's still a deliberate, damaging attack—it just means ...
Strategy & Leadership
Building Trust in Executive Relationships: Lessons from King Lear
A Framework for Establishing the Kind of Trust that Survives Budget Season Imagine the curtain going up and a group of players act out the opening scenes of Shakespeare's King Lear, just for you. An aging king sits in his ...
Your Jokes Were Funny. They Still Didn't Renew.
How MSPs Build the Kind of Client Rapport That Survives a Budget Review You walked out of the meeting feeling good. The handshake was firm, the small talk landed, and you even got a laugh with the printer joke. You ...
Value That Converts: Why Your vCSO Pitch Keeps Getting Pushed to IT
You walked out of that meeting feeling like a closer. Your credentials were on point. You covered the whole stack: EDR, SIEM, MDR, quarterly risk assessments, tabletop exercises, NIST alignment. Your vCSO offering was solid. You even had a phased ...
All Articles
If You Got Phished Right Now, Would Insurance Cover You—Or Would You Be Paying for the Loss?
Most business leaders assume they’re covered. They assume their business interruption insurance will step in. Then the nightmare begins. The fraudulent payment is gone. The bank won’t reverse it. Then they realize critical data has been stolen. Then the lawsuits ...
Cyber Attacks Are Coming—And No One Is Coming to Save You
For years, businesses have assumed that if a cyberattack was serious enough, the government would step in. That was never true. And now, with recent budget cuts, limited resources, and an increasing volume of attacks, the federal government is even less ...
Mac Users Are Getting Hacked—and They Never See It Coming
You wake up, make your coffee, and sit down at your desk. You open your Mac, check your email, and see a message from your vendor. “Where’s our payment? You’re late.” Wait… you paid them last week. You check your ...
Are You Paying for the Wrong IT Services?
I was just on a call with a security expert who asked me a tough question: “How do you tell a client they are at risk if they don’t implement everything you recommend?” Translation: They want security, but they don’t ...
The Importance of the Chief Data Officer
As a business owner, you’re dealing with more challenges than ever — especially when making sense of your data. Harnessing the power of those oceans of data can move your company toward ...
Your Taxes Are Almost Done—Now Secure Your Data Before Hackers Steal It
You are probably wrapping up your taxes. If not, you should be. Filing early reduces the chances of someone filing a fraudulent return in your name. If you can’t get it done early, at least set up an IRS Identity ...
Could Your Employees Sue You If a Ransomware Attack Delayed Payroll?
If you think a ransomware attack only impacts your IT systems, time to reevaluate. What happens if your payroll provider gets hit? Your employees don’t get paid. And when paychecks don’t show up on time, your company—not the payroll provider—could ...
FBI WARNING: If You Have a Cell Phone, You’re a Target
You’re being hunted. If you own a smartphone, you’re on the list. It’s not a question of if hackers will come for you—it’s when. And according to the FBI, that moment is getting closer. A new nationwide scam is spreading ...
You’re Not Secure—You’ve Just Been Lucky
How Cybercriminals Can Steal Thousands from Your Business in Minutes Your phone buzzes. A text from your CEO’s number. “Hey, did you see the invoice from [Vendor Name]? Just got an email saying we’re overdue. I told them we’d take ...
Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scanning: Buyer Beware
Maybe your team is asking for new software to manage vulnerabilities. Maybe they want penetration testing tools to check your network security. At first glance, it seems like a smart move. More security is better, right? Not necessarily. There’s a ...
Tax Season Is Open Season for Hackers—Here’s How to Stay Safe
It’s that time of year again. W-2s are flying. 401(k) reports are downloaded to desktops. And all the security awareness you’ve worked on all year? Yeah, that just went out the window. Hackers love tax season. It’s like an all-you-can-eat ...
Your Compliance Program Is Missing the One Thing That Actually Matters
Most business leaders think compliance is about checking boxes. They assume that if they meet regulatory requirements, they’re protected. They trust that their IT provider, CPA, or internal team has it covered. They believe compliance is just another technical detail—something ...
