Human error is a leading cause of data breaches and cyberattacks.
Hackers don’t just use advanced tools and software to try and breach your network. Deception and charisma are tools they are more than happy to use too. Calling your employees and pretending to be someone they trust can often get far better results than even the most advanced hacking tools.
Some of the largest cyberattacks didn’t start with a screen full of code, but with a seemingly friendly phone call…
What Is Social Engineering?
Social engineering is the use of deception to convince your team members to grant an attacker access to your systems or to give them sensitive information.
For example, an attacker knows the name of your CEO and emails a junior member of your team impersonating your CEO. They say they have been accidentally locked out of your telecoms system and they need to borrow the junior employee’s login for the afternoon in order to make an important phone call. They are pushy and the junior employee feels pressured into handing over the login details. If they do hand them over, the attacker now has access to your telecoms system, from there they can access your internal and external communications, call customers and suppliers using your official business number, or more effectively trick other employees into handing over even more sensitive data.
Who Is The Most At Risk From Social Engineering?
No matter how much cybersecurity you have in place, social engineering can still pose a major risk to your organisation. The larger an organisation is, the more susceptible to social engineering it is, as employees are more likely to have not personally met everyone within the organisation and as such, can be easier to trick. This threat is compounded further by home working, where more and more communications that would have previously happened in person are happening over the phone and by email instead.
How Can We Help To Protect You From Social Engineering?
- Cybersecurity Awareness Training
As part of our comprehensive cyber-defence packages, we offer cybersecurity awareness training which covers the risks and tell-tale signs of social engineering. Companies where employees are aware of the threats they face, feel more engaged in the overall security of the business. These employees will also feel empowered to say no when they are unsure about a request. This will make your business more secure and reduces the chances of a successful cyberattack or data breach. - Penetration Testing
Following up on the cybersecurity awareness training, we offer penetration testing services. This involves having cyber-defence specialists who are knowledgeable in the techniques used by hackers try to penetrate your network’s defences. This includes using social engineering as well as testing your network’s technical defences like your firewall and email filtering. All our tests are followed up with a detailed report of any vulnerabilities discovered, which can then be fed back into future cybersecurity improvements and training sessions.
These services are all part of our managed cyber-defence packages. They complement our network defence, email defence, and cloud defence services to help keep your business, your data and your customers secure. Speak to our cyber-defence team today to learn more.