Errors are a normal part of human activity, but when it comes to cybersecurity, the cost of that error can be too high. Today, the human error factor is one of the most frequent causes of threats and security breaches, data leaks, etc. But why is it that human beings are the weakest link in security? What causes such mistakes and how can they be fixed? In this article, we will analyze this question in detail.
What is human error in computer security?
Human error in terms of cybersecurity means the unintentional action of company employees, or their inaction in a certain situation, which eventually led to several security breaches. The concept of this error includes many different actions that start from accidentally infecting a system with virus software to using an unreliable password, or being careless with one’s password.
Our technology is constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated. Among the multitude of servers and applications that need to be used, employees of the average business company need to remember a lot of information. Therefore, people are often used to making their jobs easier by using easy-to-remember passwords.
Types of Human Errors
All mistakes ever made by users can be divided into two main categories:
- Skill-based errors
This type of error consists of employee blunders, namely the occurrence of small errors while performing actions that are already familiar. In this case, the user is well acquainted with their task and knows how the result should look like, but cannot achieve it because of their omissions and inattention. The human factor is very unpredictable and varied, perhaps the person is tired, distracted, or in a bad mood.
- Decision-Based Errors
The second type of error occurs during the adoption of any decision, and later this decision turns out to be wrong. In this case, the error occurs due to a lack of knowledge and skills, and information on any nuances. Also, this type of error includes and inaction, the user has decided to do nothing for a particular reason, as he does not know what to do, but even the decision to do nothing is already a mistake.
How do you prevent human error in your business?
So what can you as a company owner do to reduce human error? First, you need to take care of the technical skills and knowledge of your employees. Hold classes, organize webinars, and the like where your colleagues can learn safety skills.
Secondly, you can use programs that include user training as part of their services. Such programs include virtual-dataroom.it. Quality virtual data rooms provide companies with proper data protection, a simple interface, and easy customization, and VDR support provides a variety of training materials on how to use the space to avoid security threats.
In addition, you can follow the following guidelines:
- Privilege control – make sure each employee only has access to the applications and features they need to perform their direct duties
- Password management – insecure passwords are a major part of human error, so your best solution is to distance users from passwords. You can use password manager applications to do this
- Change your company’s security culture – bring security topics up for discussion and make sure they are related to the activities that your employees do daily
- Simplify asking questions – you should make sure you have someone who can always answer questions about security that would be of concern to your employees