5 Common Indicators of a Phishing Attempt

Phishing is one of the most common and effective cybersecurity attack vectors, accounting for roughly a quarter of all ransomware attacks between 2019 and 2021, according to research from Cloudian.

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Tony DeGonia

Tony DeGonia is a seasoned Senior Sales Engineer specializing in SIEM, SOAR, MDR/XDR, SASE, Zero Trust, and enterprise network security design. With a proven track record supporting global and public sector environments, Tony delivers technical discovery, architecture development, POCs, and executive-level presentations for mission-critical cybersecurity programs. His experience spans AT&T Cybersecurity (SLED Public Sector), IBM Security QRadar Suite, Fortra Alert Logic, and multiple emerging security startups. Tony is known for his deep technical fluency across firewall architecture, threat detection engineering, cloud networking, encryption, and multi-vendor integrations — and for helping organizations turn complex security challenges into actionable solutions.

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Big “S” vs Big “E” — How Sales Engineering Really Breaks Down

I once had a more experienced Sales Engineer explain something to me that stuck—and I’ve found it to be consistently true over the years.

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Sales Engineers, Trust, and the Work That Actually Matters

In complex cybersecurity sales, the most effective Sales Engineers are not the ones who push the hardest. They are the ones who understand risk, context,

What makes a cybersecurity sales engineer?

A cybersecurity sales engineer bridges the gap between technical complexity and customer understanding by translating security capabilities into real-world business value. This article outlines the

Big “S” vs Big “E” — How Sales Engineering Really Breaks Down

I once had a more experienced Sales Engineer explain something to me that stuck—and I’ve found it to be consistently true over the years.

Sales Engineers, Trust, and the Work That Actually Matters

In complex cybersecurity sales, the most effective Sales Engineers are not the ones who push the hardest. They are the ones who understand risk, context, and consequence — and help customers navigate decisions they may not fully understand themselves.

What makes a cybersecurity sales engineer?

A cybersecurity sales engineer bridges the gap between technical complexity and customer understanding by translating security capabilities into real-world business value. This article outlines the core competencies required to succeed, including communication, technical depth, and the ability to guide customers through risk-driven decisions.

The Role of a Corporate Evangelist in Cybersecurity

A corporate evangelist champions a company’s security vision, helping customers understand the strategic value behind its products and roadmap. This article explains how trust-building, industry advocacy, and clear communication shape customer confidence and long-term adoption.

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Mastering Cybersecurity Discovery: Best Practices for Selling SIEM and MDR Services to Enterprise Customers

Tony DeGonia
February 10, 2025
Best, Customers, Cybersecurity, Discovery, Enterprise, Mastering, MDR, Practices, Selling, Services, SIEM, SOAR, to, XDR
Cybersecurity

Effective SIEM and MDR selling begins with structured discovery that identifies customer risks, operational gaps, and maturity levels. This article outlines key questions, engagement techniques, and positioning strategies to align managed security services with customer objectives.

What is WCCP?

This post introduces Web Cache Communication Protocol (WCCP), explaining its purpose in optimizing and redirecting network traffic. It provides a straightforward overview of how the protocol works and why organizations use it in secure network designs.

Leading U.S. Cybersecurity Awareness Company Unknowingly Hires Remote North Korean Hacker

Tony DeGonia
July 25, 2024
Awareness, Company, Cybersecurity, Hacker, Hires, Leading, North Korean
Business

This article recounts a real-world case where a security training firm inadvertently hired a North Korean threat actor through remote contracting. It highlights the importance of rigorous identity verification and supply-chain diligence in the modern workforce.

Ticketmaster confirms hack which could affect 560m

This article summarizes the Ticketmaster breach, detailing how threat actors accessed customer data on a massive scale. It emphasizes the broader implications for enterprise risk management, third-party security, and regulatory exposure.

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This updated version reinforces the essential attributes of a high-performing cybersecurity sales engineer, including communication, problem-solving, and technical fluency. It further highlights how customer engagement and value-driven storytelling shape successful security outcomes.

DNS: Types of DNS Records, DNS Servers and DNS Query Types

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This post outlines the most common DNS-related attack methods, explaining how each one threatens availability, integrity, or data confidentiality. It also provides guidance on detection and defensive practices for organizations.

The 10 Domains of Cybersecurity

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How Network Traffic Can Mask A Serious Cyber Threat

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Can Cybersecurity be Automated?

This article examines the capabilities and limitations of automation in modern cybersecurity operations. It explains where automation enhances detection and response and where human judgment remains essential.

5 Common Indicators of a Phishing Attempt

Phishing is one of the most common and effective cybersecurity attack vectors, accounting for roughly a quarter of all ransomware attacks between 2019 and 2021, according to research from Cloudian.

5 questions every higher-ed security leader should ask

Tony DeGonia
December 17, 2020
5, cyber, education, higher, leaders, questions, security
Cybersecurity

This article presents five strategic questions that help higher-education CISOs evaluate their security posture and operational readiness. It emphasizes planning, resource allocation, and the unique risks facing academic environments.

Building A Home Cybersecurity Lab

This guide explains how to build a personal cybersecurity lab for training, testing, and hands-on experimentation. It covers essential tools, recommended setups, and the value of a safe environment for skill development.

Prevent WordPress hacking using this Pen Testing guide

Tony DeGonia
July 22, 2019
Guide, hacking, Prevent, Test, wordpress
Sales Engineering

This article walks through practical penetration testing techniques to identify and resolve vulnerabilities in WordPress sites. It stresses proactive hardening, plugin evaluation, and continuous security monitoring.

Hacking WordPress: Building the Lab

This companion article explains how to set up a controlled environment to practice WordPress exploitation techniques. It guides readers through safe tooling, sandboxing, and preparation for ethical testing.

10 Steps to Creating a Secure IT Environment

Tony DeGonia
March 19, 2019
10, create, environment, IT, Secure, steps, ten
Sales Engineering

This article outlines ten actionable steps to build a secure technology environment across users, systems, and policies. It emphasizes layered defenses, staff training, and continuous security governance.

The Dark Web has a Serious Deduplication Problem

This post describes how poor data hygiene and duplicate content on the dark web reduce the reliability of leaked datasets. It examines what this inconsistency means for threat intelligence accuracy and breach impact analysis.

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NotPetya (2017): The Malware That Pretended to Be a Ransom Attack… Then Destroyed Everything

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The Sony Pictures Hack: The Movie That Started a Cyberwar (2014)

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The Yahoo Mega Breach: 3 Billion Accounts Exposed (2013–2014)

Tony DeGonia
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3 Billion, Accounts, Breach, Exposed, Mega, Yahoo
Tales From The Hack

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Target POS Breach (2013): The Christmas Heist Nobody Saw Coming

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RSA Breach (2011): The Day a Spearphish Sank a Giant

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Tony DeGonia
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2010, Centrifuge, Destroyed, Iranian, Nuclear, Program, Stuxnet
Tales From The Hack

The Iranians believed their centrifuges were secure — isolated from the internet on an air-gapped network. But Stuxnet didn’t need the internet. It needed a USB stick.

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Long before ransomware, zero-days, or nation-state APTs, the world’s most powerful communications network could be hacked with a plastic toy whistle from a cereal box.

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5 Common Indicators of a Phishing Attempt

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