How Humans Are the Biggest Cyber Security Threat

As unfortunate as it is, cyber security threats, data breaches and other unwanted hacks have dominated many headlines in recent years. While they haven’t perhaps been daily news stories, just one high profile hack or data breach can be enough to rock consumer confidence for years to come.

And, this isn’t to mention the daily threats that small businesses face; threats that you won’t see talked about in news sources. Humans remain the biggest cyber security threat to any business, no matter how large or small. But fear not! Here we have discussed this further, while laying out some practical tips for combatting this threat.

The growing cyber security threat

There are two primary ways in which humans remain the biggest cyber security threat. The first is the most obvious one; deliberate acts of crime. There are now dozens of types of viruses and malware. While the rate at which technology has been advancing has been hugely beneficial, it has also meant that the nature of such cyber security threats continues to evolve.

This has led to some extremely high profile data breaches, hitting household names or organisations such as Uber, Tesco, Sony, Pizza Hut and the HMRC. When news of such attacks graces the headlines, it’s unsurprising that people panic. Furthermore, it is estimated that around 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses. These are generally the people that you won’t see being talked about daily.

But, it’s not just intentional hacking and criminal activity that remains a threat to IT systems. You must also concern yourself with employee naivety or negligence too. In fact, some articles will suggest that this can often be the greatest cause of data breaches within organisations. And yet, this can be even harder to safeguard against given the fact that your employees have meant no harm.

So how can you protect against these threats?

Website protection

The first step is to consider web protection. Using the internet is a natural part of the majority of businesses today, and this isn’t often something that you can completely forgo. But, it’s crucial to have protection mechanisms in place on these systems, helping to safeguard against any intentional or accidental threats.

A managed antivirus solution

Having an antivirus solution will act as your next line of defence when it comes to safeguarding your IT systems. Should anything unwanted get through from the web, an antivirus solution will help to protect against this. Better yet, consider having it remotely managed by us, meaning you will have an extra pair of expert eyes watching your system at all times.

Employee training

It’s also important that you think about making your employees more aware of best practice for using business IT systems in the modern age. For this, we are on hand to offer our expertise and knowledge to you, your business, and all those who work within it. If you would like to discuss this, or anything else, please get in touch with us here.

Image credit: Gaffey