Often threats to an organisation’s cybersecurity are rather closer to home than we’d like to believe. A startling revelation, from a report by Exabeam and IDC, pinpoints that over 50% of cyberattacks stem from security gaps and under-resourced teams, with employees, contractors, and internal networks frequently being the unwitting culprits.

The Inside Job

57% of organisations surveyed said they experienced

significant security incidents in the last 12 months

that required extra resources to remediate."

When asked “What’s the biggest threat to your organisation?” many CEOs don’t like the uncomfortable truth that points towards their own staff. Employees, whatever their standing within the company, can inadvertently become the cause of successful cyber threats. Insider breaches are more common than you’d think; some are caused innocently and some less so. And it’s these types of threats that can lead to catastrophic results.

With cybersecurity spending reaching a colossal US$92 billion in 2022, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, in response to growing cybercrime rates, this figure is set to double by 2027. The question we must ask ourselves is “Are we really making any impact in threat detection, investigation, and response (TDIR)?”

36% of organisations readily admit the need for external expertise to enhance company-wide cyber protection.”

Human Error or Sabotage?

Human error is always going to be a problem. Whether it’s a well-intentioned click on a malicious link, a lapse in data handling protocols, or falling for a sophisticated phishing scam, no one is immune to the threat of cybercrime. However, sadly these aren’t just simple mistakes without consequences, they’re breaches that can dismantle a company’s security and reputation from within.

Employee Cybersecurity Risk Profiles:

1. The Unwitting Accomplice: 
   Often, it’s the simple mistake – an employee misled by a deceptive email, weak passwords or connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks, that can allow cyberattacks to take place.
   
   
2. The Eager Novice: 
   New employees who aren’t familiar with your systems might inadvertently create opportunities for cybercriminals.
   
   
3. Overwhelmed and Under-Resourced:
   Sinking beneath a deluge of deadlines and multitasking, even the most diligent employee can overlook the subtle signs of a breach.
   
   
4. The Discontented Insider: 
   Anyone with a grievance may possess not just the means but also the motive to inflict harm on your systems and reputation.
   
   
5. The Indifferent Operator: 
   Apathy is a potent ally of the cybercriminal and the employee who disregards protocols can inadvertently invite disaster.
   
   
6. The Repeat Offender:
   This one goes without saying and often belongs to one or more of the above profiles.

No matter how robust your internal training programs are, the risk of cyberattack is always present. Regardless of their role or intent, employees, consultants, and suppliers are always at risk of jeopardising your entire operation.

The Weakest Link?

According to a recent study, business email compromise was the hackers’ favourite way into an organisation’s system, followed by a cloud or corporate server.

The total cost of cybercrime to the UK economy is estimated to be £27 billion per year and yet only 15% of UK businesses have a formal cybersecurity incident management plan in place. These figures are alarming as there have been an estimated 2.39 million cyberattacks on UK businesses in the last 12 months. To put this into perspective, that’s around 4.55 cyberattacks against UK businesses every minute!

A data breach costs UK businesses an average of £2.93 million."

Continuous monitoring for anomalous behaviour, on both network and endpoints, facilitates active threat hunting and ensures you’re not just sat waiting for an attack to happen.

The Cyberseer Solution:

We understand that robust cybersecurity measures may need to include a variety of bespoke services. It’s important that you feel you’re working with a partner rather than just a supplier. Our goal is to understand everything about your business so that we can implement the best solutions for your organisation and your budget. Cyberseer’s Managed SOC offers 24/7 background monitoring whilst providing additional services that include automation and incident responses.

As we continue to see new and more determined cyberattacks, it’s important that businesses remember cybersecurity is only ever as strong as the most vulnerable access point and, more often than not, that means employees.

Learn more about the advantages of our Advanced Threat Detection services – book a call with our team today.

Sources:

Action Fraud

The State of Threat Detection Investigation, and Response 2023

Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2023