Human Firewall

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As would be expected, everyone I work with is on message & policy with all the tech firewalls and cyber security. Some even taking out some Cyber-security insurance. Priced at about £600 or so, I don’t think that is going to be adequate when GDPR hits the streets later in 2018, do you?

Anyway that aside, a Ted talk video I watched, from the excellent Rob May ( @RobMay70 ) did wake me up to the whole sheer gullibility of people, where user names, passwords & other key info is concerned. Would you trade those secret things for a 60 pence Mars bar? Well many people were prepared, just watch this based on people engaged at London Liverpool St Station - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpdcVfq2dB8 )

The point is that however you secure systems with port access, secure FTP etc, will not mitigate the ‘Idiot Factor’

Forgive me for being so flippant, but increasingly the weakest link in the chain is not tech, but flesh & blood people. These are the human firewall and they need to perform as well as all those cyber initiatives. In fact, they can easily drive a coach and horses (Peveril of The Peak, would be my favoured stagecoach, from Luton to Manchester actually…), through your security policies.

Rob in his Ted talk mentions ‘Phishing attacks’, which we are very familiar with. These days the most effective attacks are ‘Whaling attacks’. These net tens of thousands, not hundreds of pounds. How can that happen? How stupid can people be, you are asking, aren’t you dear reader?

Well consider this. One up from that Nigerian prince who needs your help to transport £9m of gold out of Zimbabwe, an email request from your manager to authorise a payment of £55.4k to supplier x. Now, staff obey and respect their managers don’t they, in most orderly organisations? Clearly in this situation, we would hope that rather than clear obedience to managers, some questions might be asked here.

Consider in your organisation, would questions be asked, or would strict obedience be expected? You can surely see some dilemma here. Have we empowered our staff to think for themselves? Have we equipped them to question? What cost a short phone call, or a walk to that managers office to ask, “Are you sure, and was this from you”?

Fall short in this area, and your cyber firewall, will be undermined by failure of your human firewall. Act now and secure that aspect as well as ports TCP 1723 & the rest you have strapped down, your staff, at all levels are informed and proactive too…

Related Post: Omni-Channel, its it all its cracked up to be? 

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Rag'n'Bone Man – Human.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


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