Cybersecurity: Humans remain the Greatest asset and threat

In an ever-changing world where all we know could become obsolete in a blink of an eye, it could be said that technology has indeed and indeed grown. The rate at which technology advances in this age is second to none, yet it shows no signs of slowing down. This technology has led to breathtaking innovation to make human lives more accessible and productive. However, they are some threat actors who seek to exploit this new tech's vulnerabilities.

The world has come a long way since the invention of the internet. We have seen computers become smaller, and terms like Blockchain and IOT seem to be the new norms, while AI seems to be on everyone's lips now. However, regardless of how far the advancement goes, more threat actors try to breach this technology, again making cybersecurity a thing to pay more attention to. While organisations spend millions on tools and software to avoid security breaches, hackers are also upping their games and accessing more sophisticated hacking tools. The tools play a significant role in ensuring security, but not everything is needed to guarantee an optimum secured system and processes.

Regardless of how much any organisation spends to ensure the security of their networks, techs, systems, software and database, the human factor remains the biggest factor in determining whether the organisation will be breached. In cybersecurity, humans remain the biggest threat to ensuring the security of an organisation's information assets. Humans remain the most significant asset and ally in the breath to ensure that information assets' confidentiality, integrity and availability are attained. This all depends on how motivated and how the organisation have ensured that their staffs are information security trained and equipped.

The Human factor makes or breaks the success of any cybersecurity procedures or systems to keep hackers out. An organisation's greatest mistake is not considering the human factor when budgeting for security tools. The biggest human threat to an organisation's information assets remains not training and instilling cybersecurity skills and principles in their staff. Many companies fall. This security training helps the staff become more security conscious and security aware. This training also helps the staff inculcate security habits into their everyday life.

Insider threat is also a significant human factor that opens staff members to social engineering from within. This is achieved when staff in the organisation plans to work against the firm and intends to do so that they won't be suspected while blaming someone else. To ensure this is not achieved, the organisation should ensure that cybersecurity awareness is done periodically while also reminding staff to keep their password safe and not disclose it to anyone. Avoiding the impact posed by this threat actor can be actualised through the proper execution of the organisational access control policy while ensuring access networks are adequately segregated and user activities are logged.

So, in a nutshell, Tools and systems might be great in making security easier. However, turning a blind eye to the human factor will be catastrophic to such an organisation. So every firm should do better to provide adequate training and awareness while also motivating clients. An unhappy staff member will not take a firm's security much more seriously. Also, a nonchalant staff could be a disaster for the firm at the end of the day. Hence, it's better for the organisation to let go of staff who repeatedly violate information security policies.