No matter what sophisticated security technology we use human being is involved in one way or another.People are an asset to businesses small or large. You need to continuously invest in training employee to have the right security awareness and behavior. Cybersecurity awareness training is the best way develop the right attitude, because people represent a large potential attack surface for every business, intentionally or unintentionally. The only way to patch people is via continuous training
Prevent clicking on a bad link that will cause infection
The only effective way to patch human behavior is enhancing their awareness by continuous training. Not training employee is equal to taking a risk of breach. Not training employee is not only a risk of getting them click on malicious links but also leaves them open to social engineering.
What is Social engineering in Cybersecurity?
In terms of computer security, social engineering is a psychological manipulation of a human being, tricking employee, in order to gain illegal access to confidential information. Social engineering is a technique used by criminals and it is based on some specific attributes of employee decision making.
Cybersecurity awareness training will equip your employee in protecting phishing, tailings (an attacker seeking entry to restricted areas), quid pro quo (something for something) random callers who pretend to be from technical support and so on. The types of attacks used in social engineering can be used to steal employees’ confidential information, which then can be used for farther business data exploitation.
Image from SAC Company
Most common type of social engineering happens over the phone. Other examples of social engineering attacks are criminals posing as exterminators, fire marshals and technicians to go unnoticed as they steal company secrets. Most common social engineering attacks are:
- Phishing (most common, email or malicious websites used to gain personal information by posing trustworthy)
- Pretexting (fabricated scenario, building a false sense of trust with the victim, pretending as external IT service provider)
- Baiting (to entice victims with an item or good from the criminals)
- Quid Pro Quo (promise a benefit in exchange for information)
- Tailgating/piggybacking (Someone with no authorisation following an employee into a restricted area.