Engineering the human: The 2023 cyber threat
Human-targeted attacks are becoming increasingly virulent in 2023, and this demands that companies and individuals re-evaluate their vigilance, says Wayne Olsen, BCX Managing Executive Cybersecurity.
The number of zeroes at the end of 175 zettabytes, 21 zeroes to be exact, demonstrates the vast amount of data humanity will have generated by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 61%. Unfortunately, the weakest link in security is the human factor, leading to the prevalence of social engineering attacks. According to the Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report, 82% of breaches involve the human factor, while KnowBe4 suggests that 70%-90% of breaches result from social engineering. Additionally, Barracuda research reveals that the average company experiences over 700 social engineering attacks each year.
These statistics only scratch the surface of the problem. The challenge lies in navigating the increasing wave of social threats to protect both organisations and individuals. Cyber criminals continually evolve and enhance their tactics, further complicated by the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in cyber…
