Building an Effective Human Firewall

Cyber attacks aren’t just getting more frequent, they are also becoming significantly more vicious and sophisticated. One reason for this is because Cybercrime is easy to do…anyone can find the tools on the dark web and easily start their own cybercrime business. Now, more than ever, is time to take stock of your countermeasures with a focus on your staff as the likeliest entry point for cybercrime attacks.

Cyber criminals count on the fact that busy people perform hundreds, if not thousands, of daily actions on a computer or device connected to the internet and they know that most of those actions are performed automatically and without much thought. As a result, the majority of today’s data breaches result from human error, making cybersecurity a “people problem” as well as a technology issue.

The solution to this people problem goes beyond IT and involves cultivating an entirely new employee mindset around cybersecurity. Our recommendation is to create an expectation of 100% participation…it only takes one person to click on one link to bring the system down.
When fully engaged, these three steps creates a formidable human firewall capable of spotting and preventing even the most sophisticated cybercrime attempts and offers a significant step towards mitigating the human error that is behind 95% of the cyber breaches occurring today.

Three essential components to building a Human Firewall

1. Communicate the Importance of Cybersecurity
A key element of building an effective human firewall is to communicate the significance of cybersecurity to your employees. If employees don’t understand how important a subject matter is, they won’t take the time to absorb the information you’re providing, no matter how comprehensive or accurate. Personal and direct language like “we’re counting on you” and “it’s up to all of us,” along with comments by managers and company leaders can help convince employees that cybersecurity is essential to the company and deserves their attention.

2. Build Awareness and Knowledge
Once people care and feel like they are part of the solution it’s possible to start building a level of awareness and knowledge that will ultimately drive real change in individual and group behaviors over time. This is where a quality cybersecurity training program is vital to protecting your assets and your staff from the loss of data, productivity and money of a ransomware or phishing attack.

3. Measure and Monitor
To assess the effectiveness of a company’s current approach, it’s important to measure employee awareness, attitudes, knowledge, and motivation regarding the cybersecurity materials, policies, and trainings they have provided.
When used properly, the three key elements described above can cultivate a culture of cyber awareness where employees recognize and avoid risky situations. Cybersecurity awareness solutions, when coupled with sound teaching techniques and motivated employees, doesn’t just arm people with knowledge – they equip and empower employees to put that knowledge to use in ways that make sense and that fit in with how they perform their jobs.

Best Practices recommendation: Used properly, the three key elements described above can cultivate a culture of cyber awareness where employees recognize and avoid risky situations. Cybersecurity awareness solutions, when coupled with sound teaching techniques and motivated employees, don’t just arm people with knowledge – they equip and empower employees to put that knowledge to use in ways that make sense and that fit in with how they perform their jobs.

UniVista has developed the UniVista CyberSecurity Suite to help small businesses like yours accomplish all of the key elements. If you’d like to know more about The UniVista CyberSecurity Suite, email us at [email protected]!

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