• Engaging with effective governance

      Giving South African municipalities access to the tools and technologies it needs to thrive, was the driving force behind BCX SOLAR. Giving South African municipalities access to the tools and technologies it needs to thrive, was the driving force behind BCX SOLAR.

      Mining Sector

      Increase productivity & build a culture of innovation

      Financial Sector

      Meet the challenges of disruption & cyber security

      Healthcare Sector

      Empower your patients & leverage data by deploying customised solutions

      Retail Sector

      Embrace the changing retail landscape & know your customer

      Government Sector

      Use digital transformation to grow the economy & build capacity

      Industries Overview >

    • Cloud
      Reimagine success

      Accelerate your business ambitions with cloud computing solutions from BCX.

      Digital Innovation Awards

      BCX Digital Innovation Awards

      Cloud

      Computing for today & the future

      Digital Transformation

      Intelligent systems upgrading

      Analytics

      Data that works for you

      Applications

      Tools to streamline operations

      Services

      Strategies for efficient ICT
      Healthcare Solutions

      Healthcare Solutions

      Applications for healthcare
      BCX ERP Solutions

      SOLAR ERP Solutions

      Connect, integrate, and optimise

      Security

      Protection for your critical systems

      Devices

      Processes & network foundations

      Connectivity

      Connections within & without

      Partners

      Partnerships moving business forward
      BCX HR and Payroll

      HR and Payroll Solutions

      Everything to manage people & payroll

      Solutions Overview >

    • Our Offices
      BCX Head Office
      1021 Lenchen Avenue North
      Centurion, Gauteng
      South Africa
      0157
      Botswana

      Botswana

      Mozambique

      Mozambique

      Namibia

      Namibia

      Zambia

      Zambia

      UK

      United Kingdom

      Our Global Footprint Overview >

    • Speak To An Expert
      We'll need just a few details from you, and one of our specialists will be in touch as soon as possible.
      BCX HEAD OFFICE

      Employee Entrance:

      1021 Lenchen Avenue North
      Centurion
      Gauteng
      South Africa
      0157

      Visitors Entrance:

      1266 South Road
      Centurion
      Gauteng
      South Africa
      0157
Engineering the human: The 2023 cyber threat
Home > Engineering the human: The 2023 cyber threat

Engineering the human: The 2023 cyber threat

31 May, 2023
Human-targeted attacks are becoming increasingly virulent in 2023, and this demands that companies and individuals re-evaluate their vigilance.
The number of zeroes at the end of 175 zettabytes, twenty-one zeroes to be exact, demonstrates the vast amount of data humanity will have generated by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 61%. Unfortunately, the weakest link in security is the human factor, leading to the prevalence of social engineering attacks. According to the Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report, 82% of breaches involve the human factor, while KnowBe4 suggests that 70-90% of breaches result from social engineering. Additionally, Barracuda research reveals that the average company experiences over 700 social engineering attacks each year.

These statistics only scratch the surface of the problem. The challenge lies in navigating the increasing wave of social threats to protect both organisations and individuals. Cybercriminals continually evolve and enhance their tactics, further complicated by the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation in cybercrime. These technologies not only empower organisations in terms of security but also enable cybercriminals to improve their own methods. AI allows cybercriminals to automate various stages of an attack, including reconnaissance, target selection, vulnerability scanning, and exploitation. AI-powered tools can quickly identify potential targets, assess their weaknesses, and launch attacks at scale, increasing the efficiency and speed of their operations.

In 2023, AI has demonstrated impressive language communication abilities. Scammers’ emails are no longer riddled with errors, and social engineering attacks have become less obvious due to these advanced tools. Attackers can now scale their efforts, targeting larger groups while employing new social engineering techniques. Aware of individuals’ growing awareness, attackers utilise more sophisticated methods and create compromising situations that attract unsuspecting users.

Identifying and defending against such attacks will only become more challenging for individuals, especially with the rise of hybrid and remote working, which increases the frequency of targeting remote workers and the supply chain. Moreover, the increased adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices adds to the complexity.

Reliance on digital devices and online services for work and personal activities has significantly expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals. Many individuals and organisations have embraced cloud-based services, which, if not properly secured, will introduce new security risks. Moreover, people themselves are a significant vulnerability due to now operating outside of the traditional borders of the corporate network.

People are susceptible to social engineering tactics due to a lack of awareness and understanding of cybersecurity best practices. They often fail to follow security protocols, use weak passwords, remain uninformed about the latest threats, and lack access to training and insights for effective security management. In this environment, it is crucial for both companies and individuals to become more aware of the risks. Companies must prioritise training, awareness programmes, and testing, while individuals should educate themselves about the risks and the potential long-term consequences of a simple mistake.

Every individual in every organisation should be familiar with cybersecurity best practices, such as creating strong and unique passwords, avoiding password reuse, regularly backing up data and the major fatal error most make, don’t click on links from unknown emails. Companies need to ensure their systems and software are always up to date, including patching, having tooling to identify zero-day threats and vulnerabilities. They should also collaborate with reliable security vendors who can provide real-time data and telemetry about who and what is connected to their network or application, and how these are being used.

These initial steps lay the foundation for a robust Human Risk Management (HRM) programme and a security-first culture within the business. HRM programmes effectively mitigate the risks associated with human error by providing regular security awareness training, establishing clear security policies and procedures, and integrating security into performance evaluations. When combined with top-down leadership and a commitment to continuously improving security practices, this fosters a culture of security and reinforces the importance of individual behaviours.

Looking ahead, companies must prioritise these security habits and best practices to proactively address threats and minimise risks. While no security system is flawless and mistakes can happen, this approach and a trusted security service provider ensure preparedness even in the face of worst-case scenarios.

Share

SPEAK TO AN EXPERT

 We'll just need a few details from you, and one of our specialists will be in touch.

Consent
Please read our Privacy Statement & Consent Clause to understand what happens to your personal information.

RELATED POSTS