The Field Briefing — Issue #014 — October 28, 2026 From the Red Flag Cyber research desk.

Next issue: the desk is watching for phishing lures that try to get you to change a password before you scan — the trap this issue's briefing walks through step by step.

DEEP DIVE — Clicked a Phishing Link? Do This Now

The Short Version: Clicked a phishing link? Close the page, disconnect, run a full scan, then change your password on a trusted device and turn on MFA. Work through the steps in order. Clean the device first, then change your password from a device you trust.

What to do now: 1. Close the page and disconnect the device. Do not click, reply, or enter anything else on that page. 2. Update your security software, then run a full scan, and remove anything it flags — before you change any password. 3. Move to a device you trust and type the real website address yourself. Never use the link or contact details from the message. 4. Change the password for the account involved — and anywhere you reused it — using a new, strong, unique password for each account. 5. Turn on multi-factor authentication for that account. 6. If you entered a card, bank, or Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for the steps for what you lost, and report the message to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Full briefing: https://red-flag-cyber-site.andrewdpeat.workers.dev/briefings/clicked-a-phishing-link

RED FLAG OF THE WEEK Do not use the contact information or website address in a suspicious message. Contact a company using a phone number or website you know is real instead. Type the real address yourself rather than following the link in the message.

This issue covers items published October 28, 2026.

VIDEO Briefing 18 — Clicked a Phishing Link? Do This Now. The short video version of these recovery steps. Watch: https://youtube.com/shorts/Pfam2wUWDmA

WHAT YOU LEARNED TODAY Close the page and disconnect the device first, run a full scan before you change any password, then, on a device you trust, change the password — and anywhere you reused it — and turn on multi-factor authentication.

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