62 Percent of Breaches Still Come Down to One Thing: A Person.
In this week's "Strike a Nerve" update, I want to close out with a number that has not moved much in years no matter how much technology gets added to the stack.
Verizon's research found the human element was present in 62 percent of breaches. Not because people are careless, but because attackers have gotten very good at making the wrong click feel like the right one. Mobile based phishing is now succeeding roughly 40 percent more often than email phishing tests, which is a problem for businesses whose security training still focuses almost entirely on email.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month runs every October, and this year's theme, Building a Cyber Strong America, puts small and mid-sized businesses at the center of the conversation. That is not a coincidence. Larger enterprises have the budget to absorb a breach. Most small and mid-sized businesses do not.
The fundamentals still matter more than the newest tool. A team that knows how to recognize a suspicious text message or a fake app request prevents more incidents than another piece of software layered on top of an untrained workforce.
Three steps to take right now:
- Extend your phishing training to cover text messages and messaging apps, not only email.
- Run a mobile focused phishing simulation this quarter to see where your team actually stands.
- Use Cybersecurity Awareness Month as the reason to schedule the security conversations that keep getting pushed to next quarter.
When was the last time your team was tested on anything other than email phishing? Let us help you find out.
— Steve, "Strike a Nerve" Weekly Cyber Threat Update