By Vince Fung, Founder & CEO, Expera IT
The World Has Changed
When I started in the IT industry nearly three decades ago, cybersecurity was barely on anyone’s radar. Computers were left logged in, passwords were an afterthought, and most people didn’t see the point in locking things down. The idea of a cyberattack felt like something out of a Hollywood movie, not a real threat that could shut down your business or drain your life savings.
But times have changed.
Today, cyberattacks are the greatest threat facing modern businesses and individuals. They cause more financial loss and disruption than floods, fires, or theft, and they happen every single day. What’s even scarier is that they are no longer confined to corporations or government systems. They target people.
I’ve seen it happen to friends, family, and clients who never thought it could happen to them. My uncle once gave remote access to his computer to someone claiming to be “Microsoft Support.” My aunt wired thousands of dollars to a scammer posing as her financial advisor. Even my mom nearly paid a fake invoice that showed up in her inbox one afternoon. These are smart people who simply trusted the wrong message at the wrong time.
That experience pushed me to write 101 Ways to Get Hacked.
I didn’t write it as a technical manual or a textbook. It is a collection of real-world stories about how people, ordinary people, get tricked, scammed, or breached in everyday life. Each story drops you into the moment when something goes wrong, explains what happened, why it worked, and how it could have been prevented.
And here is the truth I have learned over the years: hackers don’t care who you are or how big your company is. They care about how easy you are to trick. You don’t have to be technical to get hacked. You just have to be human.
That is why cybersecurity awareness is not optional anymore. It is not just about installing antivirus software or setting up strong passwords. It is about developing digital intuition such as learning to pause before clicking, to question before trusting, and to recognize the patterns of manipulation that cybercriminals rely on.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but this mindset should not be limited to one month a year. The digital world we live in is always evolving, and so are the threats. Every email, text, or phone call could be a trap waiting for one moment of inattention.
Get Wiser Before It’s Too Late
If you want to protect your business and your loved ones, start with awareness. Learn from real stories, build a culture of caution, and never assume you are too small or too smart to be a target.
You can order 101 Ways to Get Hacked on Amazon, or if you want to see how secure your business really is, book a free cyber scan with Expera IT. It is a quick way to uncover your vulnerabilities before someone else does.
Because the world is not getting safer. But you can get wiser.
