I’m excited to announce that my book, Locked Up, is officially complete and will be published by Wiley on January 22, 2026.
This project has been a long time in the making. Locked Up is not a theoretical exercise in cybersecurity. It’s a firsthand, behind-the-scenes account of what happened when our university experienced a ransomware attack by one of the most notorious cybercrime groups operating today—LockBit.
Why I Wrote This Book
When you’re in the middle of a breach, theory takes a back seat to reality. Response times are measured in minutes, not meetings. Decisions carry consequences—technical, financial, legal, reputational. I lived through it. And I quickly realized that what we learned during that response wasn’t just valuable for us—it was valuable for anyone tasked with protecting critical systems in a high-stakes environment.
This book is my way of sharing those lessons, both technical and organizational, so others can prepare more effectively, respond more decisively, and recover with greater resilience.
What’s Inside
Locked Up covers:
A blow-by-blow breakdown of the LockBit ransomware event we faced
Key technical and strategic decisions made during the breach
Post-incident analysis, including what worked—and what didn’t
Mitigation tactics: IAM, MFA, EDR, backup, patching, email security, and more
Real-world insights into leadership, communication, and crisis handling
Guidance for higher education, public sector, and mission-critical institutions
This book is designed for:
CISOs, CIOs, and security leaders
IT teams preparing for or responding to ransomware
Higher ed administrators seeking better cyber risk practices
Anyone interested in understanding how to lead during chaos
Available for Pre-Order Now
Locked Up is now available for pre-order from all major booksellers, including:
The official release date is January 22, 2026. I’ll be sharing updates leading up to the launch, including book talks, podcast appearances, and more.
Stay in the Loop
If you’re interested in exclusive early content, speaking events, or bulk copies for your team, contact me here.
Thank you for your support—and for everything you do to keep your organizations secure.
We’ve still got work to do.
