While technical aspects of cybersecurity defense have improved, human understanding of cyberthreats continues to lag behind, to the considerable aggravation of those looking to protect their company’s data and systems from bad actors. A recent report from Verizon finds that it’s the human element which is a key cause of breaches, being at least partially responsible in 82% of reported incidents, according to an article in Tech Republic. Notes the report, “People remain—by far—the weakest link in an organization’s cybersecurity defenses.”
While awareness of the dangers of cybersecurity threats has improved among employees, convincing them of the importance of protective themselves against these threats is still a challenge. Says Perry Carpenter, chief evangelist-security officer for KnowBe4, to TechRepublic, “Just because your team members are aware of something doesn’t mean they will care.” In particular, it’s this lack of care that needs to be addressed, through a combination of communication, behavior, and culture management training. For each of these categories, Carpenter recommends forming the training by considering specific goals:
- Communication – understanding your audience, and providing clear and concise details on what actions they need to take
- Behavior – recognizing people aren’t always rational, and that there may be a gap between their knowledge and their behaviors
- Culture management — examining the culture of your organization and which people drive it, and design actions to fit into that culture
Source:
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-strengthen-the-human-element-of-cybersecurity/
