Link Between Employees and Breaches

The issue of securing businesses against the growing threat of cyberattacks has led many organizations to come to the realization that when it comes to the perpetrators, employees within the company can pose as much of a threat to a company’s security as an outside hacker. To further examine what causes employee behavior, researchers at Iowa State University determined self-control to be a significant factor by examining the brain activity of employees, some of whom are a potential security risk, to learn what factors may motivate an employee to violate policies or trade or sell sensitive data. From copying, transferring, or selling confidential information to a third party, researchers determined that individuals with less self-control posed a significantly greater threat and are more likely to commit major security violations. By exposing individuals to potentially harmful security scenarios, researchers were able to examine brain activity by observing differences in the reactions of individuals with both low and high levels of self-control. In comparison to individuals with low self-control, since those with high levels contemplated longer on how to manage high-risk situations, research determined that by thinking of possible consequences in advance, those individuals were less of a threat to their company’s security. Increasing from about 29 million to 43 million in 2015, a study conducted by The Global State of Information Security Survey found that internal employees, past and present, were the top-cited offender of committing security violations which emphasizes the need for organizations to assess the risks of internal personnel to keep sensitive information better protected. To ensure that your company is protected against any harmful activity, from insiders to outside hackers, Taino Consulting Group offers the security services to keep your business safe. To learn more information, contact us at info@tainocg.com. http://phys.org/news/2015-04-brain-cybersecurity-threats.html