Considering that we use technology all day long in our personal lives and at work, it makes sense that cybercrime is on everyone’s mind. A prominent data Breach Investigation Report reported a record total of 157,525 incidents in categories that ranged from malware to hacking, social engineering breaches to ransomware. And cybercrime continues to evolve. Some of the most successful attack vectors in recent times — like phishing — target people, not technology. According to the report, phishing was the top threat vector in 2019 and was involved in 32% of confirmed breaches, and 78% of cyber-espionage incidents.
The threat landscape is more complex than ever, and it’s increasingly difficult for security teams to prevent, detect, analyze, and respond to threats. Cybercriminals have shifted their tactics from technological attacks to targeted assaults on employees by exploiting basic human behaviors. As security technology has grown more advanced, hackers look to access the weakest point in the network — most often that turns out to be human error. Security training opportunities, like this badge, are more important than ever. Since employees present the easiest target for hackers, it’s crucial that everyone learns how to protect themselves, and your company. More than ever before, every person has an impact on security regardless of their function or title.
It takes only one employee opening a phishing email to set off a chain of events that may compromise your company’s data. This means that security should be an integrated part of everyone’s job. In this module, we look at some basic behaviors that every employee can adopt to help make the company more secure.
Intruders Exploit Human Behaviors
Let’s talk about how human nature plays into cybercrime. Criminals have learned they can exploit typical human feelings, such as curiosity and the desire to please, to steal credentials and infiltrate your network. Let’s dig into some of the messaging that elicits these emotions.
• Fear: “If you don’t give me the information, I will report you to your manager.”
• Trust: “Your bank account has just been closed. Click here to reactivate.”
• Morality: “Can you hold that office door open for me? My arm’s broken, and this package is heavy.”
• Reward: “My company is considering investing in your products. Can you answer a few questions about your organization first?”
• Conformity: “Bill Stevens from Finance always gives me updates about Q2 earnings, but I can’t get a hold of him. Can you help me with the report?”
• Curiosity: “Wow… Check out this video of a giant snake eating a zookeeper!”
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