Solving the Human Factor: Revolutionizing Cybersecurity for People

Addressing the People Problem in Cybersecurity

The Importance of Security Awareness Programs

October marks the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a campaign led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance to raise awareness about data protection. Recent cyberattacks have highlighted the fact that people remain the weakest link in security, with threat actors taking advantage of human nature through phishing emails, text messages, and phone calls to gain access to sensitive data.

In order to address this issue, organizations need to focus on two key challenges: a lack of security awareness among users and a lack of cybersecurity talent. To raise security awareness among users, organizations should prioritize support for security awareness programs. The SANS 2023 Security Awareness Report highlights that strong leadership support, dedicated full-time employees, and a strong security culture are essential for effective programs. Incident reporting should be encouraged and made easy to mitigate risk.

Additionally, user training should focus on the most common human risks, including phishing, passwords/authentication, detection/reporting, and IT admin misconfiguration. Training should go beyond annual computer-based sessions and include continuous training to reinforce key concepts year-round. Involving security teams in the development of human-focused security training ensures that the content remains relevant to the organization. Collaboration with other departments, such as communications and human resources, as well as partnering with third-party training consultants, can optimize resources and drive program effectiveness.

Addressing the Cybersecurity Talent Gap

The second component of the people problem is the lack of cybersecurity talent. There is currently a gap of approximately 663,600 cybersecurity professionals in the United States alone. To address this gap, a combination of training and technology can be employed.

Cybersecurity professionals should receive continuous training to keep up with the evolving threat landscape. Partnering with security technology vendors that provide product training in multiple formats, such as instructor-led/in-person, instructor-led/virtual, and self-service, allows organizations to get more out of their existing resources.

Security automation is another important factor in closing the talent gap. By automating repetitive, low-risk, time-consuming tasks, cybersecurity professionals can work smarter and focus on high-impact, time-sensitive work. This can improve retention and utilization while also driving better security outcomes. A data-driven approach to automation ensures that actions remain relevant and enhances focus, accuracy, and confidence in the outcomes. Platforms that support low-code/no-code interfaces make automation accessible to users with varying skill sets.

New technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), also play a crucial role in addressing the talent gap. AI can be used to identify and extract threat data from unstructured text, reducing the time spent on manual tasks. ML techniques can make sense of vast amounts of data, accelerating detection, investigation, and response. A closed loop model with feedback ensures that AI-capable security operations platforms continuously learn and improve over time.

Disrupting the Cycle of Attacks

Threat actors continue to exploit the same attack vectors year after year. However, it is within our power to disrupt this cycle by addressing the people problem in cybersecurity. By implementing effective approaches and tools for users and security practitioners, we can work smarter and force attackers to work harder.

Editorial: The Human Factor in Cybersecurity

The human factor has always been a critical aspect of cybersecurity. While technological advancements have improved security measures, threat actors continue to exploit human vulnerabilities. Addressing the people problem requires a multi-faceted approach that focuses on security awareness programs, user training, and the development of cybersecurity talent.

Security awareness programs are vital for promoting a strong security culture within organizations. It is essential to have strong leadership support, dedicated employees, and a system that encourages incident reporting. User training should go beyond annual sessions and include continuous training to reinforce key concepts year-round. Collaboration between security teams and other departments, as well as partnerships with third-party training consultants, can enhance program effectiveness.

To address the cybersecurity talent gap, organizations should invest in the continuous training of cybersecurity professionals. Partnering with security technology vendors that provide flexible training options allows organizations to optimize existing resources. Furthermore, security automation can improve efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, freeing up cybersecurity professionals to focus on high-impact work. New technologies like AI and ML can enhance threat detection and response capabilities.

Advice: Strengthening Cybersecurity

Organizations should prioritize security awareness programs, user training, and the development of cybersecurity talent to strengthen their defenses. By fostering a strong security culture and providing continuous training, organizations can arm their employees with the knowledge and skills to identify and respond to security threats. Additionally, investing in cybersecurity professionals’ training and leveraging automation and new technologies can bridge the talent gap and enhance security operations.