Cybersecurity is a Human Problem

Contrary to what usually springs to mind, cybersecurity and cybercrime prevention is not about computers and systems – it’s all about people. Read on to find out more about how to plan and protect your people and your organisation. Changing behaviour is the key to prevention - and that's why learning is your best defence.

If you, or your team see cybersecurity as solely the realm of your Information Technology (IT) and computing teams, you might be missing a trick. Did you know that the average cost of a data breach in Australia is close to 3.5 million dollars? And the cause of these attacks? Almost 95% are attributed to human error.*

‘Cyber’ is commonly defined as anything “having a relationship with Information Technology”. As such, and as new technology comes into play, our traditional understanding of cybersecurity capability must expand, as cybersecurity has become so much more than just locking workstations and securing passwords.

Cybersecurity intersects with our lives in almost every way. Today, cybersecurity is about how we, as humans, interact with technology. That includes our behaviours and intent, and how we keep ourselves, customers, organisations, citizens, and their information safe. It's these habits, attitudes, and ways of working with technology that form a cybersecurity posture which is unique to every organisation.

Even the most sophisticated hacking attacks need a way into our systems - and sadly that is most often through phishing attacks on unsuspecting people - who click strange links in documents or texts, or via a myriad of increasingly more sophisticated hacks to manipulate them into providing information or credentials that allow unauthorised access.

"Australia in early 2022, around 63 percent of Australian organisation’s respondents surveyed reported falling victim to phishing attacks. Over 50 percent of respondents had also fallen victim to ransomware attacks."*

The most effective way to protect against cyber-attacks is through being aware, vigilant, and clued into the latest forms of attacks. Education and training is the cornerstone to any organisation’s cyber strategy, which should also your organisation establishing policies, defences, controls and disaster recovery plans, as well as continuously monitoring your systems for any breaches, incidents, or vulnerabilities.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre recommends that organisations provide education to protect staff and the business against cyber threats. Business owners have a legal responsibility to keep your business and customer information secure. Telco company Optus and private health insurer Medibank were both victims to Cyber attacks last year, and millions of customer's personal data was accessed, and in some cases shared. But it’s not just large organisations that need to prioritise cybersecurity, with both small and medium businesses, and individuals being targeted too. Increasingly, cyber awareness is necessary for all of us living our everyday lives online.

That’s why cyber learning is vital. BSI has developed many custom cybersecurity learning programs, from introductory to more complex level on cyber security for many of our top-tier clients. We specialise in content that is efficient, easy to understand and engaging. We also have qualification pathways, and off the shelf programs ready to deploy to get you started on the journey or cater to needs of more specific team members ensuring your organisation stays cyber-safe.

If you would like to receive a free Cyber learning evaluation, or to review our existing cyber courseware and options, get in touch with one of our team below today.

Kala Philip (MAICD, GAICD) Dylan Chan Scott Henderson Ivan Kaye Cassandra Parton Mick Lynch Craig Saphin

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References:

*Cyber security and cyber crime in Australia - statistics & facts | Statista

*Australia: cyber attack types organizations were most likely to fall victim to Australia 2022 | Statista