The Cyber Heist Game: Ramon Ray and Hala Taha Started It, We’ll Take It Further

Is cybersecurity on your list… somewhere near the bottom? If so, this conversation between Hala Taha, host of Young and Profiting, and Ramon Ray, entrepreneur, author of Celebrity CEO, publisher of ZoneofGenius.com, and Bitdefender’s Small Business Ambassador, is worth a listen.

Hala and Ramon cut through the hype and talk about real risks owners face every day: phishing, ransomware, impersonators, and even “smart” gadgets that quietly open doors into your network. It’s practical and grounded in what actually happens when you’re trying to grow a brand and stay safe at the same time.

Midway through, they play a fast, high-stakes training exercise Hala calls “Cyber Heist”, a rapid set of “what would you do?” scenarios pulled straight from real life. They run through five spot-on situations: a fake CEO wire that pressures your team to send money fast, a USB trap picked up at a conference, a Monday-morning ransomware note that locks every file, a too-good-to-be-true “investor” on LinkedIn with a booby-trapped deck, and an IoT pivot where a smart fridge becomes the weakest link - not for your yogurt and stale bananas, but for your company’s data.

Ramon is in his element: quick decisions, simple policies that actually work, and tools that make protection easier. For the full play-by-play, watch the podcast, you’ll get the context, the mindset, and Ramon’s step-by-step answers.

The Cyber Heist (continued)

To keep the momentum going, here are five more you can run with your team this week. Use them as quick drills: read the setup, decide your first move, then lock in a simple prevention step.

1.Social account takeover

You start getting password reset emails for Instagram or YouTube. Then you’re logged out, and your followers see crypto spam.

What to do now

Use your recovery codes or a teammate with access to kick everyone out and reset the password.
Post a short note from a safe place (email list, website, other social) so people know what happened.

How to prevent it

Use strong two-step login for every admin.
Keep an “owner” login separate from day-to-day posting accounts.
Remove old apps you no longer use and keep recovery phone/emails up to date.
Turn on login alerts.

2. Text/phone scam from “the bank” (smishing/vishing)

You get a text: “Your business account is locked — tap to fix.” Minutes later, a “fraud agent” calls to ask for a code.

What to do now

Don’t tap links. Don’t share codes. Hang up.
Call the bank using the number on your card or in the official app.
If you clicked, change your password and turn on two-step login right away.

How to prevent it

Team rule: never act on links or phone numbers that arrive by text or unexpected calls.
Always call back on a number you already saved from the bank’s site/app.

3. Dark-web leak alert

You get an alert that an employee’s email and password showed up in a data dump.

What to do now

Force a password reset and sign out of all sessions.
If that password was reused anywhere else, change it there too.

How to prevent it

Use a password manager so every login is different.
Turn on two-step login or passkeys where available.
Keep breach alerts on so you can reset fast.

4. Two-step “push” spam (MFA fatigue)

Late at night your phone keeps asking, “Approve sign-in?” It’s not you. They’re trying to make you tap “Yes” by mistake.

What to do now

Hit “No” every time, then change your password.
Tell your team so they watch for the same thing.
Switch your account to a method that requires a code or a key, not just a tap.

How to prevent it

Use number-matching prompts or a physical security key for two-step login.
Turn on alerts if too many prompts hit at once.

5. Invoice bank-details switch

A familiar vendor emails: “We changed bank accounts — use this new one.” The invoice looks normal.

What to do now

Stop the payment. Call the vendor on a saved, trusted number to check.
If you already sent the money, call your bank’s fraud line immediately.

How to prevent it:

Never change bank details based on an email alone.
Require two people to approve any bank-detail change, plus a call-back to a verified number.
Use a secure portal for invoices and payments when possible.

From practice to protection

If you want these drills to turn into everyday protection, Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security makes it simple - no IT team required. One clean dashboard covers every device, blocks phishing, scams, dangerous sites, malware and ransomware, and helps you control who gets in with a built-in Password Manager. You can work safely on the go with unlimited VPN, spot leaks fast with breach and dark-web monitoring, and roll it out in minutes so your team is protected everywhere.

Play the “Cyber Heist” game at your next team-building, and let Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security handle the real threats in the background.

Try it for free for 30 days.