Neglecting the human element in cyber safety protocols exposes business to cybercrime

Only four in 10 (42%) businesses focus on compliance training as part of their cyber security protocol to ensure sensitive data is kept secure, reports ESET, a global leader in IT security. More worryingly, 63% rely predominantly on passwords.

This is according to the Cyberchology paper that investigates the link between personality types and vulnerabilities to cybercrime, launched today by ESET and The Myers-Briggs Company, the business psychology organisation.

The Cyberchology paper highlights that cybersecurity should be on every boardroom’s agenda. Management needs ongoing one on one meetings and training to highlight and mitigate potential vulnerabilities within teams.

By leveraging ESET’s deep research capabilities, the Cyberchology paper highlights current cyber threats such as Formjacking, PowerShell and IoT attacks. Cyberattacks are almost considered business as usual because they have become so frequent. Criminals’ modus operandi are extremely diverse and unpredictable and, aside from a reputable and trustworthy cyber solution, having a solid front line of employees who are armed with ample information and support is critical for businesses.

Speaking about the findings of the Cyberchology paper, Jake Moore, Security Specialist at ESET, says that

“securing the human element is vital in today’s fast-changing cyber landscape. We are seeing a growing need for companies to streamline their teams’ cyber safety protocols.”

While the motivation behind a cyber-attack may be varied and impossible to predict, companies can take the time to learn more about their employees’ personalities and behavioural preferences to help them understand the role they play in securing company data.

Research collated by The Myers-Briggs Company that looked at individuals across Europe revealed that people who focus their attention on the outside world (Extraversion) are more vulnerable to manipulation and persuasion by cybercriminals. In contrast, people that lean towards Sensing preferences (people that observe and remember details) may be better suited to spotting risks as they arise. Identifying people’s potential strengths and weaknesses not only highlights how different team members may be at risk without even knowing it, but it can also be used to foster a collaborative team dynamic as members may call on each other’s strengths if there is something they are not sure of.

John Hackston, Head of Thought Leadership at The Myers-Briggs Company, commented:

“When it comes to cyber safety protocols, we strongly advocate delivering a personalised cyber security management programme to employees. We believe that when employees are aware of their potential blindspots, they are naturally more invested and better prepared to be wary of things that may not seem quite right. By improving employees’ self-awareness, employers can maximise individual and team performance. This is particularly important in a fast-moving industry like cybersecurity, which combines constantly shifting challenges with the need to place trust in individuals.”