Are employees unwittingly the weakest link for organisational security? asks Paul Kenyon, COO, Avecto, pictured.
As the sophistication of malware evolves and organisations face an increasingly tumultuous threat landscape, heavy investments are continually made for new security controls, policies and best practices. Yet, one critical – but avoidable – flaw remains. The human aspect of IT practice is a key weakness for most organisations, and the vast majority of today’s breaches continue to stem from internal end-user error, rather than external attacks In fact, among 308 security breaches examined in the latest Information Security Trends study by CompTIA
When employees allow suspect malware to go unnoticed, even by unwittingly running an html link hosting infected content, or simply opening an email attachment, the consequences could be devastating. Take the case of South Carolina’s recent Department of Revenue breach
Cyber-criminals recognise that users with excess privileges, particularly those who lack the resources to identify and report an attack, are ripe for malware’s intrusion. As organisations come to realise this, there are a couple of options to consider. Locking down all administrative privileges is one, but when rights are too restrictive, employees are left struggling to perform day-to-day tasks. Organisations are left grappling for ways to empower users with the privileges they need to perform their roles, without compromising network security.
To strike this balance, organisations are increasingly adopting the methodology of least privilege management
Of course, a key component of combating human error is end-user education, and this involves talking to users. With customised messaging
No matter how well an organisation is able to safeguard its enterprise assets, unaware users are a hidden vulnerability that could breach even the most impenetrable defenses. End-user experience is at the heart of endpoint security, and organisations should establish an environment in which employees have clear feedback and guidance on their actions. With a software solution
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