Picture this: It’s Tuesday morning. You boot up your computer and everything—your files, photos, tax documents—has a weird extension you can’t open. A ransom note demands $500 in Bitcoin.

Your first instinct? Google it. But here’s what that Googling actually costs you.

This episode exposes the hidden psychology behind our resistance to calling for help with tech problems. You’ll hear the tale of two paths: three days of DIY stress that might make things worse versus a $150 afternoon fix that actually solves the problem. We break down the real cost of pride, the danger of delay, and why having your emergency contacts lined up now is the ultimate security shortcut.

You’ll learn:

* Why we resist calling for tech help (but call plumbers instantly)

* The exact resources to identify before 2 AM crisis hits

* How to distinguish between fraud alerts and fraud recovery

* The 10-minute prep that turns disaster into manageable incident

Whether you’re facing ransomware or just want to be ready when something breaks, this is your roadmap to knowing when DIY ends and expert help begins.

This continues the Incident Response series, showing how IR-7 (external resources) transforms your ability to respond effectively when your own knowledge runs out.

Duration: ~10 minutes

Subscribe for the complete incident response series (IR-1 through IR-8).

Full transcript and show notes: cyberberri.substack.com

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Audio generated from this week’s written post using NotebookLM.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cyberberri.substack.com