By Amisha Shah, EzeCastle Integration – With ‘Cybersecurity month’ approaching next month, now is the perfect time for firms to reflect on what’s often classed as a key contributing factor to cyber breaches – its employees. We hate to admit it, but human error tends to be the weakest link of any defence practices firms have in place.
The IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2017 advises that simply having the right technology is not enough to ensure protection from threats we’ve seen grow in frequency and sophistication, of late. Reputable airline, British Airways, is one of many businesses to fall victim to a reputation damaging data breach in 2018, compromising the personal and financial details of approximately 380,000 customers.
Hackers today are using increasingly deceiving tactics to exploit human nature. Social engineering and phishing attacks gain the trust of users, encouraging them to grant hackers access to confidential information, click on malicious links, and fill out their details on bogus websites. To stop employees from falling into this trap, cybersecurity experts at Eze Castle Integration recommend that firms have managed phishing and training practices in place.
Managed phishing and training
Security awareness training isn’t enough. The Ironscales Email Security Report 2017 highlights that a staggering 95% of successful cybersecurity attacks in 2017 were a result of phishing and social engineering efforts. Therefore, it’s vital for users at firms to be able to recognise the changing faces of such malicious content. Firms are advised to engage employees at-all-levels in regular phishing simulations to test employee responses to phishing attacks and provide them with ‘in-the-moment’ security education.
How it works
Partnering with a trusted, third-party cybersecurity expert, enables firms to deliver realistic managed phishing campaigns to employees, at regular intervals. The following practices and steps will help to ensure your employees are always aware of scams in the landscape:
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Employees receive phishing emails that entice them to click, download an attachment, or input credentials into a website.
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Upon interacting with the phish, the employee may receive in-the-moment training or participate in tests to establish an employee knowledge baseline and avoid this happening again.
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Online training content should be distributed to all employees, allowing them to access interactive video content and take corresponding assessments.
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Following campaign completion, phishing and training results are assessed to spot any vulnerabilities.
Partner with a cybersecurity expert
Leaving the logistics of phishing tests, training and reporting to a capable expert means your business can focus on solely on growth and revenue, whilst knowing everything is under control on the security and data protection front. Reputable third-party providers live and breathe cybersecurity, and their team of experts are there to ensure a variety of content and formats keep phishing tests fresh and challenging for your employees. They’ll also provide your business with reports and actionable insights.
Building a human firewall is a proactive approach to information security, so make sure it’s done right. Click here to find out about Eze Castle Integration’s Eze Phishing and Training services.
