Are Humans The Weakest Link In Cybersecurity?
What do you understand by the term CYBERSECURITY? Novices may think about a group of hackers wearing masks of anonymous and breaking in a website to steal the data. This might be the scene and we are not denying it, but they might be hidden in plain sight. They may be people with who you are having a general discussion. There are many different ways by which hackers can access you. You might have seen in some sci-fi movies that the lead’s phone is hacked, or a chip is inserted in their laptops. This might become true if you are associated with a big brand and hold confidential information. There, humans become a weak link.
Another breach can be encountered when if you are an employee of the company. The breach can happen from the protective firewalls and software patches as these are installed and used by humans, so they pose a threat all along as one mistake and then poof! The data is gone.
But why exactly are humans considered as the weakest link in cybersecurity?
Error is in the nature of humans as they work on the mind and muscles and not on wires and cables. If there is an error in the system or firewall, then the error generates from the human only. Humans are prone to making errors and somewhere the pressure is involved to keep the work going and taking it to completion and with such multitasking work environments, humans are bound to make mistakes. The loss of attention will lead to a disaster and then one cannot blame the hackers in the basement.
If the employee has a shady past which you are unaware of it then they might be a problem because the computer will only do what is it commanded to do but the employee has its free will, and anything can happen.
What Measures Can Be Taken To Increase Cybersecurity?
Obviously, we cannot get rid of humans altogether but there are other things that we can do so that errors do not generate. Increasing cybersecurity in modern companies has become mandatory now as the handling of sensitive information is crucial.
Creating A Strong Defense
Both human error and computer error are validated at the time of data leak so a strong defense against both humans and system. Training and education regarding cyber-attacks are important but when we are standing against supercomputers and hackers and on the other side, we have a tech who is just trying to do their given job, the competition is tough.
The introduction of Anti-fraud technology will help in correcting the behavior of the employee and even help in removing internal errors and inform them about the malicious activities if anything is happening. Human error risk will be minimized which in turn will reduce the accountability and dependency on any individual.
Cyber Secure Culture Creation Is Important
Even if we introduce the Anti-fraud technology, the human errors would not be completely eliminated, and thus cyber-secure culture is important to create inside the company. If we only bring out the cyber secure culture and not award our employees with anything for being alert and not leaking any data by mistake, then sometime later this will become stagnant. Motivating the employees for being good and attentive will boost their morale and they will do a good job in the future too.
You can also keep cybersecurity officers in each department that will ensure that the right protocols are being followed and the right person is rewarded. Communicating and updating the policies and giving updated guidelines will keep them in touch with the present.
Testing Process
One cannot place any new software or technology without testing it. Whatever safety measure you take, all you have to do is make sure that the method is tried and tested. What’s the use of having a system if it’s not giving any results? Where money is involved, there testing is to be done and no resource or manpower should be wasted.
The testing phase is not done once but it should be updated and monitored regularly. Regular system tests will help you to understand the risks and problems and will keep you ready to defend against them.
The unspoken truth here is the hackers will not stop upgrading their skills and neither should your company. It’s better to be safe than pull your hair later.
Zindagi Technologies will help you like a managed service provider. Our experienced techs know the ins and outs of stopping data leaks and are masters in preventing them. Our team of network security and cybersecurity is the best and will make sure that all your aspects are completely fulfilled. You can talk to one of our experts on +919773973971 or you can also drop us an email and if you love chatting then please visit our office.
Author
Shweta
Senior Content Writer
