Humans are the Weakest Link in Cybersecurity Strategies

• 23 December, 2022
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Most of us already know that humans can be a key flaw when it comes to cybersecurity strategies. But, when a hacker tricked an employee into doing something so against every security best practice, it’s a reminder that successful social engineering isn’t restricted to non-technical organizations. Too often, people make excuses such as “I didn’t know I shouldn’t click email links” as a way of excusing their behavior. While these excuses may be understandable, they are still dangerous and put your organization at risk.

The truth is that there is no magic solution for the cybersecurity problem. It takes time and effort to develop robust security practices. This means you will need to invest in training for employees on how to spot malicious emails and other threats. Keeping up with software updates and patching systems regularly is also important, both for PCs and mobile devices. As well as this, you should ensure all employees use strong passwords that are changed regularly and not shared with anyone else outside of the organization.

Another key component of any successful cybersecurity strategy is two-factor authentication (2FA). This requires users to provide two pieces of evidence before gaining access to an account or device—typically something they know (like a password) and something they have (like an authorization code sent via text message). By using 2FA, even if someone manages to guess your password, they will still be prevented from accessing sensitive information or applications without the second step of verification.

Finally, it’s important to reinforce these practices in your security team too, by covering patching, permissions, and overall security positioning as part of their regular duties. In addition, make sure that everyone in your organization is aware of the dangers posed by phishing scams as well as ransomware attacks so that they can take steps to protect themselves from these threats.

Human error is one of the most common causes of data breaches and other cyberattacks today—but it doesn’t have to be this way! With the right training and awareness programs in place across all areas of your organization—from IT teams all the way through to everyday users—you can help ensure that all members understand the importance of cybersecurity best practices and how they can help protect your business from potential threats.