Human error still a major security risk says new BAE report
Cybercriminals continue to prey on human nature
Despite organizations continued attempts to improve their cybersecurity positioning, new research from BAE Systems has revealed that human error is still a major vulnerability in network security.
To compile its latest incident response report, the firm surveyed board level executives, IT decision makers and security professionals to better understand the current state of corporate incident response capabilities and readiness.
A major finding from the results of BAE Systems' research showcases how many organizational breaches are caused by human error as cybercriminals prey on human nature and employees that make honest, though costly, mistakes in the workplace.
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Of the breaches caused by human error examined by the firm, 71 percent led to phishing attacks while 65 percent resulted in untargeted viruses or malware.
Rise in incidents
BAE Systems also discovered that incident response teams are dealing with an increasing number of incidents per month.
Of the organizations surveyed, 66 percent responded to between one and 25 cybersecurity incidents per month, 26 percent responded to between 25 and 99 incidents per month and almost eight percent responded to 100 or more incidents per month.
The research also revealed that many organizations are just not prepared to respond to cyber threats with 23 percent of incident response teams not conducting readiness exercises with senior management while 22 percent only have temporary or no incident response resources in place.
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To help organizations deal with today's growing cyber threats, BAE Systems has published its 22019 incident response report, 'Why Ignoring Incident Response Could Spell Disaster'.
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After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.