Webmate Creative, USA blog

Voice Phishing is a Growing Social Engineering Threat

Webmate Creative — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:39:28 GMT

Voice phishing (vishing) overtook email-based phishing as a top initial intrusion vector in 2025, according to a new report from Mandiant. Notably, vishing is live and interactive, giving the attacker more control over the social engineering objectives.

“While email phishing often relies on volume and opportunistic delivery, interactive methods involve a live person steering the conversation in real-time,” Mandiant says. “This distinction is critical for defenders: interactive attacks are significantly more resilient against automated technical controls and require different detection strategies.”

Vishing was responsible for a high-profile extortion campaign that compromised dozens of organizations’ Salesforce instances throughout 2025. The attackers did not exploit any vulnerability in Salesforce; rather, they called employees and tricked them into granting access.

“One of the more pervasive examples of this activity was a campaign that spanned the first half of 2025, in which UNC6040 used voice phishing to convince targets to provide credentials and authorize an attacker-controlled version of a legitimate software-as-a-service (SaaS) application to access organizations’ data,” the researchers write. “These organizations later received ShinyHunters-branded extortion notes demanding payment for the non-release of stolen data. Given the significant time lapse between the initial data theft activity and the extortion operations, GTIG tracks the extortion activity as UNC6240. Another example of a long-term voice phishing campaign came from UNC3944, a financially motivated threat cluster that has been active since at least early 2022 and overlaps with public reporting on Scattered Spider. UNC3944 targeted help desk staff by impersonating employees requesting password resets and changes to multi-factor authentication (MFA) settings.”

Security awareness training can give your organization an essential layer of defense against social engineering attacks. KnowBe4 enables your workforce to make smarter security decisions every day. Over 65,000 organizations worldwide trust the KnowBe4 platform to strengthen their security culture and reduce human risk.

PAWS CHICAGO

Webmate Creative — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 21:07:41 GMT

Yes, it’s really that easy thanks to a partnership between Piece Pizzeria and PAWS Chicago. Not only will you find adoptable dogs featured on Piece pizza boxes, but you'll also get a chance to enjoy monthly, limited-edition pizzas created to benefit homeless pets.

Starting February 8, every $35 specialty pie sold triggers an incredible $80 donation to PAWS Chicago — $10 from Piece and $70 from generous matching donors Bill Jacobs, Ari Levy, Sean & Alison Fogarty, Laura Desmond, Leonard Goodman, Kristin MacGregor, and Joe Mansueto.

February’s specialty pie is The Wieners Circle Pizza, a delicious red pizza topped with grilled Polish sausage from The Wieners Circle, grilled onions, and chopped sport peppers.

What are you waiting for? Order an out-of-this-world pizza or donate below to support homeless pets. ORDER HERE!

______________________________________

Saving PAWS began in 1997 and has led the reduction in homeless pet euthanasia in Chicago by 90.2 percent.

They have performed more than 300,000 free and low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, found loving homes for more than 80,000 pets, and consistently saved 98% of the pets who come through their doors.

We are humbly appreciative to have them in our windy city and will continue to support and volunteer for them! :)

Happy New Year from Webmate Creative

Webmate Creative — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 02:55:42 GMT

The London House was a great host and close to the office (bonus) with SUPERB VIEWS. A very happy new year to our clients, family and friends. We look forward to our continued connections both current and new and wish all blessings for the new year!

Automation, Automation

Webmate Creative — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 02:53:29 GMT

Fantastically written by Jessica Rivera at Venn Technology.
Most important points?
-Identify Inefficiencies
-Evaluate Existing Systems
-Evaluate Compatibility
-Start Small
....and the best advice: Read the list:
Which Business Processes Benefit the Most from Automation? AI & Automation 301: Implementation Strategies for the C-Suite

https://lnkd.in/gVTF7dWP
Thank you Jessica and Venn!

WNBA: Engagement is the name of the GAME

Webmate Creative — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 02:35:18 GMT

The 2025 WNBA All-Star festivities were exhausting for many – even if they were not even at the event! This is all due to the Studbudz.

The Studbudz are a twin duo made up of fellow Minnesota Linx teammates Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman. They have re-written fun and engagement in the WNBA by increasing record viewership, attendance, franchise valuations, and social media engagement.

The Studbudz are a new generation of charismatic and talented players captivating fans and becoming household names by using clever marketing strategies for engagement. Whether deliberate or by just being themselves, they are starting a new firestorm of player oriented marketing and Social Media influence that is increasing visibility and WNBA exposure.

Live exposure via Twitch and TikTok real-time social media is deepening fan connections and leaving them addicted to the raw and fun footage.

The WNBA All-Star game is a fun break for the players, although short. We really got to see the players in a more personal light that was refreshing and fun.

The Studbudz are a perfect example of the power of marketing innovation using real-time marketing tools.

How Can You Use Ai?

Webmate Creative — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 02:22:51 GMT

How are people really using generative AI? Therapy / companionship has emerged as the top use case, with many users turning to AI for emotional support, grief processing, and self-reflection.

The non-judgmental, always-available nature of these interactions has made AI an essential tool for mental and emotional well-being.
Alongside this, new use cases like “Organize my life” and “Find purpose” reflect an increasing demand for AI to help with personal growth and goal-setting.

Read Marc Zao-Sanders impressive, real world report. Its not just about business, but how AI can augment positive relief to life itself.
https://lnkd.in/dvEuuNqS

For practical Life:

Digital Assistants: AI-powered assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant help with tasks like setting reminders, answering questions, and playing music.
Search Engines: AI algorithms power search engines like Google to provide relevant search results.
Online Shopping and Advertising: AI personalizes product recommendations, manages inventory, and targets ads to users.
Social Media: AI helps filter content, personalize feeds, and detect fake accounts.
Fraud Prevention: AI detects fraudulent transactions in banking and other financial sectors.
Translation: AI-powered tools like Google Translate enable real-time language translation.
Home Automation: AI controls smart home devices like thermostats and lighting.
Navigation and Transportation: AI powers navigation apps and autonomous vehicles.

In Business:

Healthcare: AI assists with medical diagnosis, drug discovery, and personalized treatment plans.
Finance: AI is used for fraud detection, algorithmic trading, and risk management.
Manufacturing: AI optimizes production processes, predicts equipment failures, and improves efficiency.
Retail: AI personalizes the shopping experience, manages inventory, and optimizes pricing.
Transportation: AI powers self-driving cars, optimizes logistics, and improves traffic management.
Customer Service: AI-powered chatbots handle customer inquiries and provide support.
Cybersecurity: AI helps detect and prevent cyberattacks.
Human Resources: AI assists with recruitment, performance evaluation, and training.
Marketing: AI personalizes marketing campaigns, analyzes customer behavior, and optimizes ad spending.
Energy: AI optimizes energy consumption, predicts energy demand, and manages energy grids.

Other Applications:

Gaming: AI powers non-player characters and creates dynamic game environments.

Education: AI personalizes learning experiences, provides feedback, and automates administrative tasks.
Agriculture: AI optimizes farming practices, monitors crop health, and manages resources.
Robotics: AI enables robots to perform tasks in manufacturing, healthcare, and other fields.
Predictive Analytics: AI analyzes data to predict future trends and outcomes in various fields.
Decision Making: AI provides insights and recommendations to support informed decision-making.

The “Kiss Cam” Scandal

Webmate Creative — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:59:04 GMT

HR professionals are typically responsible both for supporting the executive team and for advocating on behalf of employees. So what should HR do when a senior manager oversteps legal boundaries and the ramifications of his or her behavior affect the entire workforce?

Inappropriate and unlawful behavior happens. A company leader may be involved in a sexual harassment scandal, engage in discriminatory conduct or even take part in criminal activities, such as fraud or embezzlement.

Figuring out how to respond to the situation can be a dilemma for HR professionals, said Mark Fogel, SHRM-SCP, chief executive officer and co-founder of Human Capital 3.0, an organizational leadership advisory firm. Should HR:

Act as defense and protect the executive?
Settle certain situations with money?
Take action against all wrongdoers?

What if the wrongdoer owns the company? What if the behavior is unethical but not illegal? "Doing the right thing" isn't always easy or clear, Fogel said at the 2018 Society for Human Resource Management Employment Law & Legislative Conference on March 13 in Washington, D.C.

HR professionals need to weigh their options. They could expose the company and stand on moral and ethical high ground, but they may face losing their job and damaging their reputation. Despite government efforts to help regulate the private sector and prevent retaliation for whistle-blowers, you must carefully consider the possible outcomes, Fogel said.

Don't Brave It Alone

At a minimum, HR professionals need to do what the law requires, Fogel noted. "If someone actually breaks the law, you have to bring it forward."

It may help to discuss the situation with someone in the company and examine the possible strategies.

Who can HR turn to for partnership? Fogel suggested first consulting an immediate manager. If that's not possible, consider talking to internal legal counsel or a member of the board of directors. Depending on the situation, it may also be appropriate to speak with a government agency.

"This is an uncomfortable conversation," Fogel said, especially for those who have never talked to legal counsel or the board of directors. "Take into consideration that once you push the button, you have to be willing to follow up and have those conversations."

Additionally, HR professionals need to ensure workers feel empowered to come forward and report legal or ethical issues in the workplace.

Note that conversations might not be confidential. Follow-up investigations and interviews may need to be conducted.

Document Each Step

When wrongdoing is suspected, HR should investigate the situation and document the findings. "It's hard to remember what you said yesterday at breakfast," Fogel said, so document everything in real time. "If you document things a week later, you are more likely to fill in the gaps" with dialogue or actions that didn't actually happen.

Not all documentation has to be shared, but it's a good idea to keep track of the steps taken. Consider following up with a brief e-mail after phone or in-person conversations, too, he added.

Have a Uniform Public Message

Some company scandals are more public than others. "What do you say to the press if a camera is in your face and your CEO has just been arrested?" Fogel asked. "It's not so easy."

That's why organizations should have a policy designating who can speak to the press. All employees should be aware of the policy and should know who is responsible for handling media requests. If HR is responsible for speaking to the media, Fogel suggests having one point of contact. The spokesperson should:

Hold media conversations at certain time intervals. It's fine to say, "We are still looking into this matter and will get back to you when we have more information."

Resist overstating the situation. Provide simple statements with just a few words or sentences. Answer the questions asked and don't supply additional information.

Refrain from guessing, predicting or assuming. Stick to the known facts.

Recognize HR's Hard Work

As sexual harassment accusations against politicians, celebrities and executives flood the news, many people have asked, "Where was HR?"

HR has gotten a raw deal in terms of the public response to sexual harassment claims, said Jonathan A. Segal, an attorney with Duane Morris in Philadelphia and New York City.

There may be cases where HR could have done more—and that needs to be evaluated—but it doesn't make headlines when HR does things right, Segal said during a general session on March 13. When HR promptly investigates and helps resolve the situation, no one complains. And that's a good thing.

It's also important to remember that HR isn't solely responsible for civility and compliance in the workplace. Leadership must own those issues, too.

"I see a lot of HR people struggling with the hardest issues and most doing a really good job," Segal said.

This article is courtesy of SHRM. Read this and more by visiting

The New SEO: Google EEAT

Webmate Creative — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:13:35 GMT

A sea of new SEO information has been on the horizon. What is E-E-A-T? Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This is a framework that Google’s human reviewers use to assess quality content.

Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content

Google's automated ranking systems are designed to present helpful, reliable information that's primarily created to benefit people, not to gain search engine rankings, in the top Search results. This page is designed to help creators evaluate if they're producing such content.

Self-assess your content

Evaluating your own content against these questions can help you gauge if the content you're making is helpful and reliable. Beyond asking yourself these questions, consider having others you trust but who are unaffiliated with your site provide an honest assessment.

Also consider an audit of the drops you may have experienced. What pages were most impacted and for what types of searches? Look closely at these to understand how they're assessed against some of the questions outlined here.

Content and quality questions

Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?
Does the content provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic?
Does the content provide insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond the obvious?
If the content draws on other sources, does it avoid simply copying or rewriting those sources, and instead provide substantial additional value and originality?
Does the main heading or page title provide a descriptive, helpful summary of the content?
Does the main heading or page title avoid exaggerating or being shocking in nature?
Is this the sort of page you'd want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
Would you expect to see this content in or referenced by a printed magazine, encyclopedia, or book?
Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
Does the content have any spelling or stylistic issues?
Is the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?

Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to a large number of creators, or spread across a large network of sites, so that individual pages or sites don't get as much attention or care?

Provide a great page experience

Google's core ranking systems look to reward content that provides a good page experience. Site owners seeking to be successful with our systems should not focus on only one or two aspects of page experience. Instead, check if you're providing an overall great page experience across many aspects. For more advice, see Google's page: Understanding page experience in Google Search results.