Human Error vs. Malware: Which Is The Greater Security Risk?
While companies like Vodigy Technologies continue to provide top-notch IT services for businesses, a 2015 Data Security Incident Response Report by BakerHostetler stated that 37% of data breaches were caused by human error, 25% by malware, 22% by device theft, and 16% by employee theft.
Everyone makes mistakes. Something like sending an email to the wrong John in your office isn’t the end of the world. But sending an email to the wrong person who doesn’t work for your company could be much worse than a malware infection. Here are some examples of catastrophic human errors that happen to small businesses right here in Saint Paul.
Human Error Explained
The more people you employ, the more frequently slip-ups occur. To stay ahead of the issue, you must learn to recognize the behaviors, decisions, and actions that threaten your company’s security.
Careless handling of data
Any individual can have a bad day at the office, but when confidential business data is concerned, any absent-minded action can lead to a major disaster. A study done by CompTIA showed that a considerable percentage of error-related cases are caused by the “general carelessness” of employees or users.
Whether the employee misplaced a mobile device stores sensitive information, ignored software updates, sent an email with business data to the wrong person, or accidentally deleted essential files — one employee’s bad day can lead to a world of hurt for the entire company.
Poor security awareness
A lot of employees don’t know how to spot common cybersecurity attacks, such as phishing. Email and web filtering solutions, like the ones Vodigy offers can recognize and block some malicious links, but hackers are constantly finding new ways to sneak their creations into victims’ inboxes. If workers are not trained to watch out for these scams, they almost certainly click on links to phishing websites and expose their company to malicious code.
Using weak passwords
It’s hard for IT solutions to recognize someone as a fraud when he or she has provided the correct password for an account. And weak passwords can easily be cracked by hackers who are patient enough or who have malicious software. A 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report stated that 63% of documented data breaches were caused by stolen, default or weak passwords. This proves that choosing simple passwords, sharing login credentials with other people, or even writing a password on a sticky note and keeping it nearby can result in valuable private data being compromised.
Should the company be concerned about human error?
With the media placing so much importance on ransomware that preys on IT vulnerabilities, we wouldn’t blame you if didn’t realize how dangerous basic human errors are. In reality, they’re one of the biggest risks your organization faces and they’re growing in number, fast.
Even if a company has the latest and greatest in cybersecurity and disaster recovery solutions, one employee slip-up could put the business’s future in jeopardy. Managed services providers solve this problem by providing holistic IT support, including everything from technical solutions like data loss prevention to “soft” solutions like employee training.
And when an employee decides to ignore the training you’ve given them, Vodigy’s Backup and Disaster Recovery services preserve confidential company data in case someone makes a mistake.
Set up your organization for success by following Vodigy on Twitter for the latest developments in the company. Or get in touch with us today to learn more about our flat-fee pricing and 24/7 support.
