We Didn’t Think It’d Happen to Us

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Last year, Go Carpathian was hit by a serious cyberattack.

The kind that makes your stomach drop before your brain catches up.

It cost us thousands of dollars and, if we hadn’t reacted fast, it could’ve crippled the business entirely.

Huge credit to our Serbian dev, Danilo, who worked around the clock to contain the damage and get us back to normal before it spiraled. 

Thanks to that effort and our emergency playbook, we were able to resume operations in just a few hours. 

Still, it was a 0/10 experience that I would not recommend.

But we did learn a valuable lesson that even careful teams are vulnerable.

And, you’ve got to be ready for when the worst happens. 

Learned that one the hard way, but you don’t have to. 

Cybersecurity Preparedness That Saved Us From Ruin

Today, I’m sharing the playbook we used to mitigate the attack and bounce back stronger than ever in just a few hours. 

The full guide is available on request, and it’s 100% free. Just reply ‘Guide’ to this email. 

Now for the brief 4-Step version:

Step 1: Limit Access with Role-Based Permissions

Giving everyone full access is a shortcut to disaster. Sprinto stats show that 68% of data breaches occur through mistakes, credential misuse, and social tactics like phishing.

The fix?

• Only give each teammate access to what they need.
  

• Use password managers (Passbolt, 1Password, Bitwarden) to share credentials securely.
  

• Regularly audit access logs so you always know who touched what.

Step 2: Use Encrypted Connections 

Weak or stolen credentials open the door wide. According to recent cybersecurity research by DemandSage, nearly 90% of data breach incidents target human error and weak logins. 

The fix?

• Two-factor authentication (Duo, Authy, Google Authenticator) is non-negotiable.
  

• Require VPNs for every remote or offshore connection (ProtonVPN, NordLayer).
  

• Encrypt sensitive communications through Slack Enterprise, Teams, or Signal.
  

Step 3: Train Your Team Constantly

Social engineering (like phishing) is part of nearly every attack. Stats show that 98% of cyber‑attacks rely on social engineering and that organizations face hundreds of these attempts every year.

The fix?

• Schedule quarterly phishing and social engineering simulations.
  

• Share real examples of phishing emails in Slack or Teams.
  

• Appoint “Security Champions” in every department to monitor compliance and awareness.

Step 4: Have a Clear Incident Response Plan (IRP)

Even with every lock in place, breaches can still happen. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report suggests the average time to identify and contain a breach is over 200 days and the average breach cost is in the millions.

The fix?

• List who to contact, immediate actions, and investigation steps.
  

• Practice response drills twice a year: “What if a laptop is stolen?” or “What if someone clicks a phishing link?”
  

• Set up alerts for unusual activity so you catch issues early.

I’m not trying to scare you or deter you from international talent in any way. 

You 100% SHOULD hire offshore or onshore if you need great talent at a fraction of U.S. rates. 

But you’ve got to be vigilant! And that starts with putting some of these measures in place, being cautious, and building a culture of security.

Hiring the Right People Matters

Different countries and regions have different cybercrime risk profiles, based on real-world stats. For example:

• Nigeria, India, and North Korea are among the higher-risk regions for cybercrime, particularly phishing, business email compromise, and ransomware.
  

• Countries like Serbia, Argentina, and South Africa consistently show much lower cybercrime exposure and structural risk.

(We’re not saying talent from higher-risk regions can’t be amazing, just that statistically, choosing wisely reduces risk.)

Being cautious and clever when hiring (like sourcing through trusted agencies instead of automated freelance marketplaces) can drastically lower the risk. 

Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr are nearly 100% automated: no real human vetting, no ongoing oversight.

That makes it easier for scammers to slip through.

With Go Carpathian, every hire is:

• Pre-vetted and qualified: Our expert recruiters assess every single candidate's resume, conduct camera-on interviews, and source thoroughly for skill, culture fit, and ability.
  

• Accountable: If something doesn’t work within the first 120 days, we replace the hire.
  

• Security-aware: Our candidates are experienced remote workers and aware of required security protocols. 

Combine this with strong systems, access controls, and monitoring, and you’ve turned a potential liability into a secure, productive remote team.

Your Full Playbook

We’ve distilled everything we’ve learned from this unfortunate incident into a step-by-step guide: “Build High-Performing Remote Teams Without Compromising Security.”

Inside, you’ll get:

1. Access & authentication best practices

2. The lowdown on network & device security setup

3. Communication & data-sharing protocols

4. Training & awareness routines

5. Incident response planning that’s saved us thousands of dollars

6. My favorite tools for keeping your team safe and secure

Reply to this email with ‘Guide’ for a FREE copy

OR

If you need world-class talent today, book a free call with one of our recruitment specialists here, and we’ll send you the guide anyway. 

Start scaling your remote team securely, confidently, and efficiently!

Until next time,