Human vulnerabilities are often the primary entry point for hackers. From an attacker’s perspective, the wealth of information available on the web and dark web is a goldmine for learning more about their targets. However, individuals have the power to reverse this dynamic. By adopting best practices and reducing their digital footprint, everyone can become a key player in their own protection, making it significantly harder for hackers to succeed.
According to the annual CESIN (French Club of Information Security and Digital Experts) – OpinionWay barometer, 49% of French companies acknowledged experiencing at least one significant cyberattack in 2023. Yet, 90% of these attacks (France Num) involved the human factor, which remains the main target for social engineering attacks such as phishing, identity theft, and account compromise. It is therefore essential to implement specific solutions to mitigate human cyber risks and shield organizations from increasingly sophisticated and devastating cyberattacks.
Human cyber risk refers to the behaviors or errors of users that could compromise the cybersecurity of an organization. This risk can arise either intentionally or accidentally.
Risky behaviors are often unintentional, where an employee is deceived into falling into traps set by hackers. Social engineering attacks such as phishing and identity theft exemplify this. For instance, during a phishing attack, it typically takes just 60 seconds between the moment the email is opened, and the fraudulent link is clicked. Alarmingly, in 80% of cases, phishing attempts are not reported by employees. Additionally, the rise of deepfake technology has significantly increased manipulation techniques, adding a new layer of risk.
Sometimes, human risks stem from voluntary but negligent actions, such as:
Several factors are contributing to the rise in human cyber risk, including:
Social engineering attacks rely entirely on exploiting the human factor, making them particularly insidious and effective. Their goal is to deceive users or bypass their vigilance to steal sensitive company data, misappropriate funds, or launch further attacks.
Social engineering exploits personal data of employees gathered by attackers. Using OSINT tools and data leaks on the dark web, attackers often need only an email address (personal or professional) to trace a target. Personal data accounts for 70% of stolen information globally, facilitating various types of attacks:
Employee training is a cornerstone of effective cybersecurity strategies. Awareness and education foster vigilance, helping employees recognize and respond to potential threats.
However, attackers remain highly adaptive, constantly evolving their techniques with advancing technologies. Continuous monitoring and regular updates to training programs are critical to ensuring employees remain vigilant. Empowering employees to become strong links in the security chain makes them harder targets, ultimately strengthening the organization’s defenses.
Every individual’s online activity leaves traces, collectively known as their digital footprint. For hackers, this footprint represents the attack surface of their targets. Detecting and managing risky information (e.g., passwords, email addresses, phone numbers) is vital to reducing exposure.
Risky behaviors, such as Shadow IT (installing unauthorized software), also need to be identified and addressed. Shadow IT alone accounts for 35% of security incidents.
While malicious insider threats are rare, most internal risks arise from a lack of awareness. Tools that non-intrusively evaluate internal threats and risky behaviors are essential for taking timely protective and corrective measures.