Technology exists to empower individuals, serving as a dynamic tool in both personally and professionally. Quite simply, people are the common link driving technology adoption. While technology tends to follow predictable patterns, human behavior is anything but straightforward. It’s easy to question why humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity, but the answer — like people — is more complex.
Why Are People the Weakest Link in Cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity professionals focus on three primary categories in protecting data: people, processes, and technology. Taking a look at each of these provides insight into why people are the weakest link.
Technology
Technology, in itself, never makes mistakes. People program technology, then technology does what people tell it to do. It can be verified and provide repeatable outputs, and even artificial intelligence (AI) is a series of algorithms programmed by people.
As evidenced by security vulnerabilities in software, technology can be flawed. But it’s also logical and obedient. We can change how we instruct it to function differently and fix those flaws with objective solutions, such as security patch updates.
Processes
Similar to technology, processes do not “act” on their own. They are a set of steps people follow so they can repeatedly achieve a consistent outcome.
When a process breaks, it can be reviewed, problem found, and an immediate fix created. Similar to technology, fixing a broken process has a clear solution.
[Related Reading: How to Create a Cybersecurity Program]
People
Unlike technology and processes, people are inherently complex. They think independently and make their own choices, whose consequences can be positive or negative. Their decisions can be rational at times and irrational at others, reflecting the unpredictable nature of human behavior.
What Cybersecurity Risks Are Caused by People?
Human error risk can lead to several different types of cybersecurity concerns.
Weak passwords
As organizations adopt more cloud-based technologies, people create more passwords. Unfortunately, they may not always remember every password and don’t want to request a password reset.
The need for more passwords often leads people to use easy-to-remember passwords. Fundamentally, this means they may default to using:
- The same password in multiple locations
- Passwords that include a loved one’s name or season
- A series of numbers such as 12345
These tricks may help users remember their passwords, but they also create an easy target for cybercriminals. Simple passwords are vulnerable to brute force attacks, while even complex ones can be stolen from one site and sold on the dark web, only to be used against another. If your banking password matches your e-commerce password, you’re effectively giving the e-commerce site a key to your financial assets. Don’t compromise your security; use unique, strong passwords for each account to safeguard your sensitive information.
Find out if your password is one of the top 100,000 compromised passwords. If it is, change it.
Weak authentication
For the same reason that people hate making new passwords, they also tend to avoid multifactor authentication (MFA). Any additional step, whether clicking on an authentication application or waiting for a code, creates a barrier to adoption. People want quick access to their resources.
Delivery error
Sending something to the wrong recipient is the top miscellaneous error in the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR). It’s simple, it’s embarrassing, and it happens. It’s likely that everyone reading this blog has made this mistake at some point. While the consequences vary depending on the content of what was misdelivered, being embarrassed is another human challenge which leads to delays in reporting said mistake.
Misconfigurations
System administrators and developers are people too who can make mistakes that lead to data breaches. For example, forgetting to change a default password on a server increases the likelihood that threat actors can gain access. Misconfigurations are particularly common in cloud environments. Examples include exposing a secret key publicly, neglecting access control, not enabling security logging, exposing cloud data stores and copying and pasting a configuration from one serverless function to a different one for ease.
What Attacks Target the Human Factor?
Threat actors know people are the weakest link in cybersecurity and leave organizations at risk. Their goal is to exploit this problem.
Social engineering attacks
When cybercriminals engage in social engineering attacks, they specifically focus on exploiting vulnerabilities in human nature. Most phishing campaigns are successful because they prey on emotions. They invoke urgency so people won’t stop to think. In their haste, they take action against the company’s and their own best interests.
Credential attacks
In a credential attack, cybercriminals try to break into a password protected device or resource by systematically trying various known weak passwords or use a list of real passwords stolen in a breach. Since password lists can be easily found on the internet, these attacks are often successful.
Malware & ransomware attacks
Often, malware and ransomware attacks are successful because users fail to apply the security updates that patch common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) in time. Patches can be time consuming, and people often delay installing them. Cybercriminals use this knowledge to look for entry stage vulnerabilities in devices, allowing them to then move onto ransomware and malware attacks.
[Related Reading: How to Perform a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment]
Benefits of Investing in Cybersecurity Training
People are inherently fallible and prone to mistakes. While training and resources can raise awareness, they often fall short in equipping individuals with the necessary skills. Awareness is not enough; true education is essential to empower people and prevent errors.
Cybersecurity training
Most cybersecurity awareness training programs simply do not hit the mark. Adults learn best when the program:
- Applies to their real lives
- Offers hands-on capabilities
- Gives them a way to build on previously learned information
Most security awareness programs just offer a series of videos and multiple-choice tests that don’t engage adult learners.
Tools
Many organizations overlook the critical need for cybersecurity awareness training that includes practical tools empowering employees to implement best practices. While purchasing a multifactor authentication solution is a step in the right direction, it only addresses part of the issue. Although password management technology is increasingly available, far too many organizations fail to provide it to their employees. As they introduce more applications that require additional passwords, employees inadvertently fuel a vicious cycle of poor password hygiene. It’s time to break this cycle by equipping employees with the right tools to safeguard their digital environments.
Technical experience
Remote work presents significant challenges for organizations. Employees connecting from potentially vulnerable home networks pose serious risks. Many lack the expertise to secure their home networks properly, with some not even knowing how to change the default router password. Even virtual private networks (VPNs) can be compromised, leaving sensitive data exposed. Ultimately, the reality is that many employees do not know how to effectively safeguard organizational data.
Guarding Against Human Error: The Power of Managed Security Services
While people are the weakest link in cybersecurity that may lead to data breaches, companies are still responsible for mitigating risk. With managed detection and response (MDR) and extended detection and response (XDR) solutions, the likelihood of an attack from new threats, vulnerabilities, and misconfigurations decreases. When devices, systems, and networks are compromised, MDR provides rapid detection, notification, and response guidance.
As organizations work to reduce the impact human error risk has on their environments, MDR and XDR offer a way to enhance their security posture. With full coverage across cloud, network, system, application, and endpoint, Fortra’s Alert Logic gives organizations the ability to leverage threat analytics by collecting, analyzing, and enriching data for advanced threat detection and response.
