Welcome to the August 2018 issue of the Computing Security Newsletter.

A cyber risk survey produced by the London Financial Times has found that 58% of cyber-attacks are attributable to employee behaviour, such as human negligence, accidental disclosure and lost or stolen devices. Some observers might feel that employees ‘get it in the neck’ a bit too often, while employers escape the blame. But there are some alarming statistics suggesting the workforce in general does not to sharpen up its act, if it wants to spare its employer from succumbing to the kind of attacks that can cripple them or even put them out of business.

So… the stats. Well, according to an ISACA (an international, independent IT governing body) survey published last year, more than three quarters (76%) of UK office workers didn't know what ransomware was and 36% couldn't define a phishing attack. Let’s hope that this has diminished with the passage of time and the constant campaigns to promote greater awareness, but experience tends to make most of us sceptical ion this regard. Staff need to be aware of the dangers they could potentially impose.

With this in mind, CyberGuard has highlighted key areas where staff can compromise a company:

Weak passwords. Having a weak password is inexcusable and a key area where hackers can obtain crucial business data from your employees' devices.
Phishing emails. How can someone detect if an attachment contains a hidden malicious script or downloads an encryption key from outside your network? There are tell-tale signs on how to spot phishing emails.

Not installing relevant updates. Software updates and patches exist to fix vulnerabilities If staff are continuously clicking 'remind me later' on update alerts, it can seriously put a business' security at risk by prolonging any necessary patches.

Social media plays a huge part in every business life. It's easier to manage and much more engaging platform for brands to communicate with clients and potential customers, However, the same can be said about cyber-attackers.

Connecting to devices using USBs. USBs offer an extremely easy way to install malware onto a business's computer, and many employees connect a USB to their device without even thinking about where it has been. Employers can only do so much when seeking to regulate the behaviour of their staff. The rest is up to them and constant vigilance and behavioural awareness are key to ensuring they help keep the business safe.

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Brian Wall, Editor
Computing Security

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