Cybersecurity encompasses all of the tools, technology, processes, and policies an organization employs to protect its data, devices, and networks from unauthorized or malicious access, encryption, corruption, and data theft.
As a matter of necessity, cybersecurity technologies and techniques are always evolving to keep pace with changing threats and tactics. To create an effective defense against potential attacks, organizations must take a holistic approach to cybersecurity that includes IT, the C-suite, and every employee in between.
Together, these groups must implement a cybersecurity strategy that focuses on protecting four common entry points for malicious users:
Cyberthreats come in many forms. Some are highly technical, involving code capable of slipping past cybersecurity software undetected to infect networks and files. Others rely on good, old-fashioned human error.
A worker can, for example, download an infected app onto a smartphone connected to the company network, click a malicious link in an email that appears to be from HR, or share their network credentials with an unauthorized user.
When it comes to cybersecurity, all the technology in the world can’t prevent poor decision-making. But security awareness training can.
Invest in company-wide security awareness training to teach employees common red flags in emails, how to spot malicious links and attachments, and what to do if they are the victim of a phishing scam.
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Phishing is by far the most common type of cyberattack. This social engineering tactic involves tricking a user into clicking a malicious link, entering sensitive personal information, or opening an infected email attachment.
Because phishing scam operators can choose a “spray-and-pray” approach or a more targeted campaign involving personal details to build trust, phishing has a high success rate. After all, it only takes one distracted employee to throw open the gates to the company network.
Phishing is a relatively low-effort, high-reward crime, so it’s not surprising that by mid-January 2021, Google Safe Browsing reported a 25% year-over-year increase in the number of phishing sites registered.
There are several types of phishing scams making the rounds. In fact, hackers have found a way to create a phishing campaign for practically every kind of digital communication outlet.
Phishing scams often seem legitimate at first glance, but on closer inspection, there are tell-tale signs that something is not quite right.
Here are some common red flags to watch for that may indicate you’re being phished:
Cloud-based collaboration has become the norm, so employees have to be smart about sharing. Some best practices for safe sharing include:
Security awareness training should include overarching best practices for keeping data secure as well as drill down on the laws that govern your specific company, country or region, and industry.
Hackers use spoofed URLs to trick users into clicking links. The text may look like an authentic link to a trusted company, so it’s important to hover over each link in the email to check that the actual URL is legitimate. Pay close attention because phishing links are often almost identical to the authentic hyperlink with small differences, such as a one-letter spelling difference or use of .com instead of .net.
Like grammar and spelling, poor quality layout and design in an email from a huge company is reason to be wary.
Attachments are a popular way for hackers to deliver malware, so be on the lookout for email attachments that seem off. For example, your bank is unlikely to ask you to download a file, and HR probably isn’t sending out .exe files for review.
Most businesses use email solutions capable of inserting the recipient’s name in the email greeting. Be wary of an email that uses a generic salutation, such as “Dear Sir/Ma’am,” and be extra suspicious if there is no company contact information in the signature.
Similar to the spoofed hyperlinks, hackers often send phishing emails from email addresses that look almost identical to a legitimate and trusted company. Be sure to look for spelling differences, missing letters, and character discrepancies, such as an underscore instead of a dash.
Many phishing scams include a time-sensitive or urgent call to action designed to make users click before they think. Some popular messaging includes:
In 2021, a Ponemon Institute and IBM Security study found that the average total cost of a data breach has risen to $4.24 million, exceeding all previous years’ averages.
And security experts anticipate the rate of cyberattacks will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. At a recent cybersecurity summit, U.S. National Security Agency Director Paul Nakasone was asked to predict how often the U.S. would face ransomware attacks in the next five years.
His answer? “Every single day.”
With cyberthreats expected to be an ongoing security challenge, it’s crucial for IT teams to identify current and future risks and look for effective ways to protect their organizations from data, financial, and reputational loss.
The same Ponemon Institute study mentioned above also found that the average cost of a data breach increased from $4.26 million to $4.96 million when remote work was a factor in the breach. According to the study, incident response time is slower in remote work environments, so it takes longer to identify and neutralize an attack.
With many organizations opting to continue remote work or shift to a hybrid environment, IT teams will need to seek out cybersecurity solutions that prevent attacks and allow them to launch a response faster when an attack succeeds.
Effective cybersecurity strategies require highly trained cybersecurity experts to design and deploy them. Unfortunately, there is a massive shortage of these professionals in the workforce at a time when there is a historically high demand for their services.
A study conducted in 2020 found that the number of unfilled cybersecurity jobs will potentially reach 3.5 million in 2021. That’s up from 1 million openings in 2014.
With millions of cybersecurity vacancies left unfilled, many organizations will be unable to implement a security strategy or technology capable of withstanding the increasing number of attacks and the sophisticated tactics hackers are initiating.
Thanks to improved technologies, such as 5G and edge computing, the Internet of Things (IoT) is working its way into everything from security cameras to refrigerators to self-driving delivery trucks.
These devices are only as secure as the safeguards put in place by the manufacturers and service providers. Third-party vulnerabilities are a common entry point for hackers, meaning you must ensure you work with vendors who take security seriously and take measures to prevent an attack on a vendor from spreading to your organization.
Ransomware attacks are on the rise, and they are becoming more damaging by the day. Operators were once content to encrypt a company’s data and demand a ransom in exchange for the decryption key, but they are upping their game.
One popular tactic is double extortion—a ransomware attack that exfiltrates a copy of your company’s data before the files are encrypted and held for ransom. Ransomware operators use this type of attack to pressure the victim to pay by threatening to publish the stolen data online.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning use powerful algorithms to identify known threats and spot evolving unknown strains. This technology allows security teams to analyze data and suspicious activity at a volume and speed not possible with manual tools and conventional software.
Up-to-date threat detection technology is a key part of an effective cybersecurity strategy, but even the most cutting-edge software can be circumvented by an employee who falls for a phishing scam.
With today’s distributed workforce, IT teams can no longer rely on the office firewall to keep out bad actors. With endpoints scattered across multiple locations, IT needs employees to become the first line of defense.
Empowering employees to become an extension of IT security requires customized, comprehensive, and targeted security awareness training, such as BrainStorm Threat Defense.
This non-traditional platform provides a learning environment intended to change how users think about communication, collaboration, and personal responsibility. It doesn’t engage with humiliation or memorization—both of which are ineffective in driving lasting behavioral change.
Piecemeal cybersecurity won’t hold up against today’s evolving threats. IT security teams must take a holistic and consistent approach to prevent breaches and protect sensitive company data.
To create a cybersecurity strategy that works, you must make a plan, determine how you will execute that plan, and ensure the plan is scalable across the organization.
Every organization’s cybersecurity strategy will be tailored to its specific requirements and objectives, but there are a few fundamental steps that every IT team should include in their plan:
Don’t underestimate the importance of security awareness training in the success of your cybersecurity strategy.
BrainStorm Threat Defense provides a turnkey solution for your security awareness training initiative. With a 4-step program that focuses on turning employees into an extension of IT security rather than a liability, BrainStorm Threat Defense will help you improve your security posture by eliminating much of the human error responsible for security breaches.
Understanding is an ongoing process. We first ask questions to assess the baseline level of vulnerability for both users and the organization. We then revisit this step regularly to monitor progress in response to remediation.
Each user gets an individual Skill Path that focuses on their specific weaknesses and knowledge gaps.
BrainStorm Threat Defense phishing campaigns only use positive correction techniques—never humiliation—making it easier to measure progress.
Remediation is automated, so it repeats and retargets lessons as needed while the information is still top of mind.
Security awareness training is not a one-and-done activity. The human brain needs repetition to retain information, and security threats are always changing and evolving. That’s why users receive an ongoing cycle of assessment, education, testing, and remediation to stay in practice and stay up to date on current cyberthreats.
With historically high rates of cyberattacks—and equally high costs for recovery—every organization needs a rock-solid cybersecurity strategy that includes top-quality security awareness training for all employees.
Contact us to see a live demo of BrainStorm Threat Defense’s people-centric approach to security awareness training.
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