In today’s world, hackers and cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to trick people and businesses online. One of the most common types of attacks is phishing, where someone sends fake emails or messages to get personal or financial information. A real-life example of this happened in early 2024 when Pepco Group, a large European retail company, became the victim of a major phishing scam.

What Happened

According to a report from Reuters (2024), Pepco’s operations in Hungary were targeted by cybercriminals who sent fake messages that looked legitimate. The attackers were able to convince employees to transfer money to fraudulent accounts, causing the company to lose around €15 million (about $16 million). Pepco later said it was working with banks and local police to recover the money, but it wasn’t clear if the criminals were caught or if the funds were ever returned. This incident caused both financial loss and reputational damage, as customers and investors questioned how something like this could happen to such a large company.

Why It Matters

This case is a perfect example of how phishing and social engineering work in the real world. The criminals didn’t need to hack into Pepco’s computers, they just tricked people into handing over the money. It shows how human error can be the weakest link in cybersecurity. Even with strong systems and software, one mistake can lead to major losses.

Lessons Learned

There are a few key lessons we can all take from Pepco’s experience:

1. Always double-check requests for money or information. If something seems off, confirm it through a phone call or another trusted method.

2. Be cautious of urgent or emotional messages. Hackers often use fear or pressure to make people act quickly.

3. Get educated about phishing. Recognizing fake emails and suspicious links can prevent most of these attacks before they start.

For me personally, this story reminds me to slow down before clicking or replying to something online. I’ll make sure to verify messages that involve sensitive information or financial requests, even if they look official. Staying alert can make all the difference in avoiding these kinds of scams.

References

Reuters. (2024, February 27). Retailer Pepco loses about 15 mln euros in Hungarian phishing attack. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/retailer-pepco-loses-about-15-mln-euros-hungarian-phishing-attack-2024-02-27/

Know Your Enemy: 5 Digital Threats We Actually Face

1. Stolen Credentials / Password Reuse- Hackers often reuse stolen usernames and passwords from past data leaks to access customer accounts or internal systems. Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report shows that credential abuse is still one of the most common ways attackers break in.
2. Bot Attacks / Account Takeover (ATO)- Automated bots can test thousands of username and password combinations per minute to hijack accounts or test stolen credit cards in our online store. Since retailers are easy targets for this type of attack, it’s important for us to have tools that detect and block bot activity before it causes damage.
3. Ransomware / Double Extortion- Ransomware attackers usually enter through phishing emails or outdated software. Once inside, they encrypt our files and demand payment to unlock them. Recently, groups like “Play” have used new double-extortion tactics, threatening to leak stolen data unless the ransom is paid. CISA’s #StopRansomware guide outlines modern tactics and how to prepare for these situations.
4. Business Email Compromise (BEC) / Phishing / Social Engineering- This threat happens when employees are tricked by fake emails that look real. The attacker might pretend to be a vendor or manager asking for urgent payments or sensitive data. Because our business deals with many vendors and payments, one careless click could cost us a lot.
5. E-Skimming / Magecart-Style Attacks- Hackers can secretly insert malicious code into online checkout pages to steal customer credit card numbers. This often happens through infected third-party plugins or tracking scripts. It’s a growing problem for e-commerce stores that don’t regularly monitor their web code for tampering.

Know Yourself: What We Run and How It Could Be Targeted

Here are the main systems our company uses every day, and how attackers might try to exploit them:

Develop Your Strategy: 5 Recommendations

Here are five steps I would take as our tech lead to protect the company and build stronger cybersecurity habits:

1. Lock Down Logins & Identity (MFA + Least Privilege)- We need multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all systems, from admin dashboards to employee email. Access should be limited so everyone only has the permissions they actually need. We can also set up alerts for unusual login activity, like someone signing in from two countries within an hour.
2. Network Segmentation & Endpoint Defenses- Our in-store registers should run on a separate network that can’t connect to office computers. Every company device, computers, registers, and servers, should have updated antivirus and endpoint detection software. Keeping everything patched regularly helps close common security holes.
3. Protect the Checkout Page & Scripts- We should use a Content Security Policy (CSP) to control which scripts can run on our site. Checkout pages should use hosted payment forms so customer card data never touches our servers. Regular scans and change monitoring will help catch any hidden code or suspicious activity.
4. Minimize and Secure PCI Scope (Tokenization / P2PE)- Using tokenization and point-to-point encryption (P2PE) ensures that real card numbers never get stored in our systems. We should also start following PCI DSS v4.0 standards now, especially the ones that become mandatory next year and schedule regular security scans and penetration tests.
5. Plan for the Worst (Backups + Response Drills)- Following the “3-2-1” backup rule (three copies of data, two types of storage, one offline) will protect us if we ever face ransomware. We should also test our backups regularly and create a detailed incident response plan so everyone knows what to do if something goes wrong.

References (APA 7th Edition)

1. CISA. (2025). #StopRansomware guide. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/stopransomware-guide
2. Descope. (2025). Credential security trends report 2025. Descope. https://www.descope.com
3. Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center. (2025). 2025 Internet crime report. https://www.ic3.gov
4. HALOCK Security Labs. (2025). PCI DSS 4.0 readiness overview. HALOCK. https://www.halock.com
5. PCI Perspectives. (2025). Preparing for PCI DSS 4.0 future-dated requirements. PCI Security Standards Council. https://blog.pcisecuritystandards.org
6. Qualys. (2025). Cyber threat landscape overview 2025. Qualys, Inc. https://www.qualys.com
7. Secureframe. (2025). PCI DSS 4.0 compliance guide. Secureframe. https://secureframe.com
8. Verizon. (2025). 2025 Data breach investigations report (DBIR). Verizon Business. https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/

When looking for good online resources as a digital media designer, I came across three that stood out: MDN Web Docs, Smashing Magazine, and Stack Overflow. Each one has different strengths, and together they show how designers and developers can learn from both official sources and community advice.

Technology changes so quickly, so the first thing I checked was how current the information is. MDN Web Docs is updated often, sometimes within the same month, which makes it a reliable place for the newest web standards. Smashing Magazine is also very active, with new articles published throughout 2025, so its tutorials stay relevant to current design practices. Stack Overflow is constantly refreshed because people are asking and answering questions daily, which keeps even targeted issues up to date.

Another important factor is who is posting the information. MDN is written by Mozilla and other browser developers, so the authors are experts in web standards. Smashing Magazine articles are written by professionals in the design and coding world, and the editors make sure only well-developed content gets published. Stack Overflow, on the other hand, is peer-to-peer. Anyone can post, but the quality depends on the experience of the person answering. You can usually tell authority on Stack Overflow by looking at the user’s reputation score and whether their answer is highly upvoted.

Each site has its own gatekeeping system. MDN uses a review process on GitHub, so content is checked before going live. Smashing Magazine has editors that act as gatekeepers, choosing what gets published. Stack Overflow uses democratic voting where the community decides which answers are the most useful, but that means you sometimes need to double-check information if it’s not explained clearly.

The quality of the information also differs. MDN can be a little dense, but it is clear and highly structured, making it great for reference. Smashing Magazine is very well written, with step-by-step explanations, images, and code snippets that make concepts easier to follow. Stack Overflow answers can vary,  some are short and confusing, while others are detailed and clear. Reading the comments usually helps figure out if an answer is trustworthy.

These are definitely resources I would use in the future. MDN is my go-to when I need accurate, up-to-date documentation on web technologies. Smashing Magazine is perfect when I want inspiration or want to dive deeper into design strategies. Stack Overflow is great when I run into a specific coding problem and need a quick fix from someone who has already solved it. Together, these resources cover official knowledge, polished tutorials, and real-world troubleshooting, making them all valuable for me as a designer.

When people talk about a content management system (CMS), they’re basically talking about software that helps you build and run a website without needing to know tons of coding. Think of it like a control panel where you can add blog posts, upload photos, or update pages with just a few clicks. WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Shopify are some popular ones you’ve probably heard of. While CMSs are most commonly used for websites, they also power things like online stores, blogs, and even mobile app content (Red Radix, 2023).

Building a site with a CMS is pretty different from coding one by hand with HTML and CSS. With a CMS, you can set things up quickly, use ready-made themes, and install plug-ins to add features. It’s a great option if you don’t want to mess around with code every time you want to change something. On the flip side, hand-coding gives you total freedom to design exactly how you want, but it takes way more time and technical skill. These days, the best approach is often a mix: businesses like the speed and convenience of CMSs, but they still bring in developers when they need custom features or advanced designs (Cooper, 2021).

A big question is whether CMSs are taking away jobs from web designers and developers. The truth is, they’ve changed the role rather than eliminated it. Sure, a CMS makes it possible for anyone to spin up a website, but businesses still need pros to make their sites stand out, run smoothly, and stay secure. Instead of spending hours hand-coding every page, developers can now focus on bigger things like custom plug-ins, user experience, or performance optimization. So, CMSs haven’t killed web design jobs, they’ve actually pushed them into more creative and strategic areas (Venghaus, 2024).

In the end, CMSs have opened the door for anyone to share content online, while also giving professionals new opportunities to push web design further. They save time, lower the barrier to entry, and keep websites flexible. If you’re building for the web today, knowing how CMSs work is pretty much a must.

References

Cooper, J. (2021). Building websites: CMS vs. coding from scratch. SitePoint. https://www.sitepoint.com/cms-vs-coding

Red Radix. (2023). What is a content management system (CMS)? https://redradix.com/blog/what-is-cms

Venghaus, L. (2024). How CMS platforms are shaping the web design industry. Medium. https://medium.com/@lvenghaus/cms-and-web-design

1. Access: Desktop vs. Mobile
Today, more people use mobile devices than computers to access the internet. As of mid-2025, mobile devices account for roughly 60–64% of global web traffic, while desktops make up about 36–40% (StatCounter, 2025; Exploding Topics, 2025).

2. Who “Controls” the Web & What It’s Made Up Of
The World Wide Web doesn’t have one single person or company that controls it. Instead, it is built on open standards: such as HTML, HTTP, and URLs which allows for information to flow between billions of servers and browsers worldwide. Oversight of these technical standards is handled by organizations like the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), founded in 1994 to ensure long-term growth and openness (W3C, 2025).

3. Tim Berners-Lee
Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a British computer scientist who invented the World Wide Web in 1989 while working at CERN. He developed the first web browser, web server, and the three core technologies: HTML, HTTP, and URLs, that still power the web today (CERN, 2025).

4. What Is a Blog?
A blog is an online publishing format where posts are regularly shared in reverse chronological order. Blogs are used for personal storytelling, business marketing, journalism, and education, giving individuals and organizations a platform to connect with readers (HubSpot, 2024).

5. Responsive Website Design
Responsive design ensures websites automatically adjust layout and elements to fit different screen sizes, like: desktop, tablet, or smartphone, so that content remains clear and easy to navigate (Adobe, 2024).

6. Why Responsive Design Matters
With most web traffic now on mobile, responsive websites are essential for user experience, accessibility, and SEO ranking. Sites that aren’t mobile-friendly risk losing visitors and visibility (Google Developers, 2024).

7. What Is SEO, and Why It Matters
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) improves a site’s visibility in search results by optimizing structure, content, and performance. Strong SEO brings more organic traffic, credibility, and business growth (Search Engine Journal, 2025).

8. What Is Dynamic Content?
Dynamic content changes automatically depending on the user or context. Examples include: personalized recommendations, live feeds, or location-based updates (Contentful, 2025).

9. Content Management System (CMS)
A CMS is software that allows users to create and manage website content without advanced coding. Popular systems include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. I personally use WordPress, which provides powerful publishing tools (Kinsta, 2025).

10. YouTube Channels
A YouTube channel is a personalized space for uploading and organizing videos. Individuals, educators, influencers, and businesses use channels to share tutorials, entertainment, and brand storytelling (YouTube Help, 2025).

My name is Trinity, and I’m excited to be part of this class. I’m from Newark, Ohio, and I’m currently working toward my Graphic Design degree at Central Ohio Technical College. I chose this path because design has always been a passion of mine, and I’m looking forward to building the skills I need to succeed in the creative industry.

Right now, I work at my family’s business, Integrity Label Company, where I help with invoicing, processing orders, and managing social media. Over the past year, I’ve learned a lot about both the business and creative sides of the industry. My long-term career goal is to eventually take over the company and continue to grow it for the next generation. I believe this program will give me the tools and knowledge to bring fresh, innovative ideas into our business while also preparing me for future opportunities in the design field.

Outside of work and school, my biggest joys come from my two Australian Shepherds. They keep me busy and active, and I love spending time outdoors with them. Another creative outlet I really enjoy is doing my nails and creating fun, detailed designs. Nail art lets me combine patience, creativity, and style in a way that’s relaxing but also inspires me to think about design differently. It’s one of those hobbies that connects to my interest in design since I’m always experimenting with colors, patterns, and new looks.