Today marks the 11th anniversary of KrebsOnSecurity! Thank you, Dear Readers, for your continued encouragement and support!
With the ongoing disruption to life and livelihood wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 has been a fairly horrid year by most accounts. And it’s perhaps fitting that this was also a leap year, piling on an extra day to a solar rotation that most of us probably can’t wait to see in the rearview mirror.
But it was hardly a dull one for computer security news junkies. In almost every category — from epic breaches and ransomware to cybercrime justice and increasingly aggressive phishing and social engineering scams — 2020 was a year that truly went to eleven.
Almost 150 stories here this past year generated nearly 9,000 responses from readers (although about 6 percent of those were on just one story). Thank you all for your thoughtful engagement, wisdom, news tips and support.
I’d like to reprise a note from last year’s anniversary post concerning ads. A good chunk of the loyal readers here are understandably security- and privacy-conscious, and many block advertisements by default — including the ads displayed here.
KrebsOnSecurity does not run third-party ads and has no plans to change that; all of the creatives you see on this site are hosted in-house, are purely image-based, and are vetted first by Yours Truly. Love them or hate ’em, these ads help keep the content at KrebsOnSecurity free to any and all readers. If you’re currently blocking ads here, please consider making an exception for this site.
In case you missed them, some of the most popular feature/enterprise stories on the site this year (in no particular order) included:
The Joys of Owning an ‘OG’ Email Account
Confessions of an ID Theft Kingpin (Part II)
Why and Where You Should Plant Your Flag
Thinking of a Career in Cybersecurity? Read This
Turn on MFA Before Crooks Do it for You
Romanian Skimmer Gang in Mexico Outed by KrebsOnSecurity Stole $1.2 Billion
Who’s Behind the ‘Web Listings’ Mail Scam?
When in Doubt: Hang Up, Look Up, & Call Back
Riding the State Unemployment Fraud Wave
Would You Have Fallen for this Phone Scam?
GREAT JOB, BRIAN! YOU ARE BRILLIANT AND WELL AHEAD OF THE MEDIA.
He’s investigating things personally so yeah.
It’s not for everybody! I await his autobiography in retrospect.
Someday he’ll get around to it but for now, too much new stuff.
It’s a pivotal time, I hope his operations are expanded.
Public good is served.
Unblocked 🙂
Me too, now. I had thought I had done so last year, but I guess not. Sorry about that (even if Leroy Jethro Gibbs says to never apologize).
Happy 11th Birthday! Looking forward to another year of excellence in your reporting!
Congratulations!! Keep up the great work. Also “Unblocked.”
Happy 11th birthday dear website and many happy returns of the day!
Brian, you have earned not only many followers, but an incredible degree of respect and admiration for your skill and tenacity at shedding light on the darkest areas of the web and those who would use it for less than admirable purposes. (And for your outstanding writing skills.)
“Thank you” hardly seems sufficient, but until we can nominate you for a Pulitzer Prize, it may be the best we can do.
You rock, and we’re all indebted to you for sharing the fruits of your labors with us.
Happy 11th… and here’s to many, many more.
Cheers!
Mikey…Well said. I second that emotion.
Thank you Brian and I unblocked.
As one of your “never miss a one” followers for years, I hope you continue to model the best of what can be, for many more.
i’ve unblocked, you should make that a permanent banner
Congrats on the anniversary!
Keep up the great work, Brian.
Congratulations to you, Mr. Krebs.
I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog. Truly insightful and informative.
Thank you.
Met you at a conference in Portsmouth, NH
I was already following you and have continued since.
I especially appreciate your real time reporting on current security issues as well as your guidance regarding ISP updates and concise takes on threats and clear explanations of defensive strategies.
Congratulations and looking forward to your reporting on all things pertaining to cyber security going forward.
Thanks for everything, Brian.
Brian,
Thanks for the work. Many of the articles are key to our user training and knowledge sharing (can I count how many times I’ve shared the skimmer series?). Much appreciated and here’s to a better 2021!
Happy Birthday —- and thanks for giving us the gift of great information and insight.
I wonder if you are interested to look into how Google seems to have become a major enabler of spammers, just in the last month or so. At least for me. This comes in two types.
First is Nigerian type spam like everyone, but the difference now is that they are using google forms and actually sending from google. I have copies if you wish. Google ignores all reports.
The second is marketing for click leads to known corporations like Geico and ADT and Quicken Loans and many others not known. They all send from maropost.com but use the following services hosted by Google and Digitalocean.com. All of them ignore abuse reports.
links.pgphsupport.savings-finder.com
These links are to legitimate corporate websites with the appropriate extensions to pay the spammers for the link.
In my experience this is new in that major ISPs are the primary enablers of the spammers, and do nothing about it. Is this the way the internet is going?
HI Brian,
Congratulations and Happy New Year
Congrats on the 11th. Keep up with your extraordinary
work Brian.
Congratulations on your 11th. Anniversary, and thank you for all that you do to keep us informed. It is greatly appreciated.
Congrat’s Brian. It’s been a fast eleven years.
I have followed your work since you worked for the Washington Post. I have always found your insights and comments to be 1000% accurate! Keep up the good work! Dave Newbern
Been following for a few years. You’ve done great work. (also unblocked). At the current rate of breaches and hacks, I think you’ll be busy for the next 11 years and more. I doubt you will lack for stories.
Thanks for all the great work you do Brian.
Congrats and cant thank you enough Brian!
Congratulations Brian on 11 years! I can always count on you for accurate and unbiased security information. THANKS!
PS. No blockers on your site.
Unblocked (again?).
Thanks a lot.
Please don’t disappear until your 111th birthday (like Bilbo in ‘The Lord of the Rings’) 😉
New year of cyber crime articles, I can’t wait !
Moderation test
i had read a lot of blog post from you and i would like to continue that for the last bread it breaths on me. I wish you a well being and lot’s of love to your family. Happy New Year
Respect token of appreciation for doggedness and transparency.
I only get one vote, but my vote is for more.
Thanks Brian for the stellar job that you do here! Been reading your work since before you started the blog.
This blog is a daily read for me in my job of security.
Thank you!
Thank you and don’t stop!