Information Security Around People: Why Is It So Important?

Information security is one of the most important assets today. This is relevant not only for ordinary users, but also for many businesses, various companies, and manufacturing enterprises. Here, we are talking not only about unique technological processes and proprietary developments, but also about a variety of other information. For example, this could be confidential information about employees, clients, business partners, and even competitors. It's also important to remember that any company, regardless of its type of activity, size, or length of presence in the market, possesses significant information that requires serious protection.

In any case, there will be third parties for whom this data will be of some value. This means it's in your best interest to take another close look at how your business's information security is organized and identify any weaknesses. Experience shows that one of the most serious vulnerabilities in information security and business as a whole is the human factor. Here, we're talking about the company's employees as a whole—those with access to the computer and the business's local area network. The actions of modern internet attackers have become so sophisticated that ordinary users without the necessary knowledge and skills are becoming very easy "prey." In the hands of hackers.

In today's review, we'll focus on information security in general, as well as the basics that absolutely every user of a computer connected to the network should know. We'll highlight the most common vulnerabilities encountered in practice today. We'll also pay special attention to the issue of information security around people. Why is it so important to build it this way? We'll highlight the main reasons why people are the weak link in corporate information security. We'll also provide a series of recommendations to help you build strong corporate data protection that's tied to your personnel. We'll introduce practical solutions for ensuring information security and provide additional recommendations to help you implement upcoming work as effectively as possible.

We also suggest studying the material "CISO: The Role of the Chief Information Security Officer in Today's World", which will help you take a more professional and comprehensive approach to ensuring stable and secure online operations overall.

What is information security in general?

Information security is an extremely comprehensive set of tools, technologies, and measures aimed at ensuring the protection of a company's information. Any IT infrastructure of an organization, regardless of its type of activity or size, must be developed taking into account current data security requirements. It's important to understand that all solutions will be highly dynamic. Internet attackers' actions are gradually becoming more sophisticated, technologically advanced, and expanding. This means that your internal system must adapt to them. This is the only way to ensure resilience to emergencies and operational stability.

That's why, to ensure high information security standards, we use advanced software, implement a policy of different access levels for users with different access rights to confidential and highly sensitive information, develop comprehensive instructions for working with confidential data, and take a number of related measures.

That is, it can be argued that information security is ensuring adequate protection of corporate information with a guarantee of maintaining its confidentiality. However, in addition to the need to organize large-scale technical measures, it is also imperative to include certain organizational measures aimed at working with personnel. Such a solution will yield good results in practice only with a comprehensive approach. These measures will not work in isolation.

What does a business need to ensure information security?

Surely every business representative thinks about how to ensure information security within their company. Here, it is imperative to follow three key principles:

1. Guarantee the confidentiality of corporate data. This can be ensured by establishing strict access control to important corporate information. All these rules must be observed at absolutely all stages of interaction within the company, as well as with partners and contractors. This means you must always understand who is receiving what information from you and that it corresponds to their access level.
2. Integrity of important and confidential information: All data related to your business must be properly organized and presented in a reliable and consistent manner. This will eliminate internal chaos, allow you to easily and quickly find the necessary data, and grant access only to those people with the appropriate access rights.
3. Availability: Once again, we emphasize that access to information must be distributed based on the rights of each user. This means that important corporate data should be accessible only to those you completely trust, those whose competence and responsibility you have no doubt about.

And here we again come to the conclusion that information security is It's not just about protecting information from external threats, but also about the data culture implemented within your business.

Major Information Security Vulnerabilities

Now, we've systematically approached which information security vulnerabilities are most relevant to modern businesses. Here we can highlight a number of key points:

• Problems related to incorrect operation of software or hardware;
• Obvious and hidden flaws in the protocols and interfaces used;
• Errors made during the implementation of operational processes;
• Certain characteristics of systems related to more global systems;
• Negligence, short-sightedness of personnel, or their lack of relevant knowledge and skills;
• Operation of computer hardware and software under extremely stressful conditions, that is, in those for which they were not designed.

All these vulnerabilities, depending on the impact they may have on the stability and functionality of your information security system, can be divided into 4 main categories:

1. Random. Here, we're talking about problems arising from unforeseen situations related to the specific nature of the corporate IT infrastructure as a whole. This could include a short-term outage due to communication failure, power outages, or other factors that cannot be foreseen in advance.
2. Objective. This relates to the system's design, that is, to the hardware and software used to perform these tasks. This could include the use of outdated components, incorrect software configuration, or the negative impact of power surges and associated interference.
3. Subjective. Experience shows that such errors are most often the result of user actions. This refers to incorrect use of software, as well as all files and data accessible by certain individuals.
4. Intentional. This also relates to the human factor. However, the point is that these actions are committed by external parties. Most of these will be hacker attacks, involving the launch of malware into a local network or a single computer, the installation of spyware, and other types of attacks.

Experience shows that intentional vulnerabilities are the most dangerous. The severity of the breach directly impacts not only the information security of the local network but also the reputation of the business as a whole. Moreover, over 75% of all hacker attacks exploit the human factor as a weak link. This, in turn, is direct evidence of the poor information hygiene culture within most modern companies. This is why the human factor deserves special attention when it comes to ensuring high information security performance.

Why should information security be built around people?

Everything we've discussed above about information security once again demonstrates that among all the risks and dangers that arise in the corporate environment today, certain actions by employees are the result. Of course, it's unfair to say that all of this is being done intentionally, as that would be far from the truth. The fact is, most of your staff makes these mistakes simply because they don't know how and why data protection is necessary. Many of you may be surprised, but experience shows that some employees don't know that they can't use the same password for all their services and accounts. They don't understand that combinations like "123456789" aren't suitable and that they should use more complex and longer passwords (12-15 characters) containing a combination of numbers, letters, and special characters. And this applies not only to corporate environments: many people don't even consider the importance of keeping confidential information secret, even on their smartphones.

In other words, information security must always begin with people, because they are, in practice, the weakest link in any corporate system, and beyond. Hardware software is virtually indestructible, as it operates based on precise algorithms. However, humans are susceptible to emotions. It's characterized by inattention at certain moments, a lack of certain knowledge, skills, and motivation. And here it's important to understand that all this doesn't always depend on position. Experience shows that senior company managers and even information security department employees are also vulnerable to hackers' actions. This means that all measures aimed at increasing your business's resilience to various actions by online attackers should always be built around people and take into account their behavior, knowledge, and skills.

Reasons Why Employees Become the Weak Link in Information Security

If you're a business leader, a supervisor, or an information security employee, you must understand one simple truth: the majority of your staff, not directly involved in information security, disregard all the norms and requirements that are relevant in this niche. In other words, people simply don't care whether they become the "weak link" in the information security system. "On your corporate network," whether their actions will open the door for cybercriminals. Thus, the main task facing an internet marketer is launching advertising and promoting your brand in the market. The finance department will think about how to calculate all costs and profits. Programmers put effort into creating a particular application and its successful launch on the market.

This means they'll simply focus on completing their own tasks and solving the problems that matter to them. Meanwhile, the constant need to create and update complex passwords, as well as all the difficulties associated with entering and remembering them, gradually fade into the background. This isn't a sign of malicious intent: people are simply focusing on solving the problems that fall within their professional responsibilities, believing that information security representatives should be responsible for ensuring protection from hackers.

This is precisely where the main difficulty and danger lies. The only way to remedy this situation is to convey the importance of information security to employees in the simplest and most accessible terms possible, explaining what they can personally do to ensure it, without overloading them with unnecessary information. It's also very important not to force employees to perform tasks outside their professional responsibilities that interfere with their effective performance on daily tasks.

Consider how you can educate your staff on all the nuances of information security as simply, unobtrusively, and without any complications. It's important to keep in mind that any company has employees with varying attitudes toward technology and data protection. Several main categories can be identified here:

• I have nothing to do with this at all. Frankly, this type of employee is the most dangerous for a business. The fact is that such people simply don't care about the overall security of your business. They believe they have their own responsibilities and should focus solely on them. This means that all the information your information security department tries to convey to them will simply fall on deaf ears. The only thing you can do in this situation is explain that all processes related to creating complex passwords, regularly updating them, and using antivirus software are... This is a natural work process and part of their professional responsibilities. And if such employees find themselves in an environment where absolutely all staff perform such tasks and consider them the norm, it will be much easier for them to do all of this on their own.
• This happened by accident. This category includes employees who can listen calmly and attentively to lectures on information security, ask questions, and write down recommendations. But the result is something that goes in one ear and out the other. This is largely due to the fact that people tend to forget things that are not particularly common for them, things they don't encounter in everyday life—that is, things where there is no developed habit. How should you interact with such employees? Simply remind them of all the nuances as often as possible. This means you need to make it a habit to regularly remind people that it's time to change their password or update their operating system.
• Where is this written down? This category includes people who need to know that they are working within the framework of certain laws, regulations, and requirements. If your internal documents or orders don't specify that employees perform certain tasks related to information security, you won't be able to get them to do so. What should you do in this situation? Include the relevant standards and requirements in your business's internal documentation and know where you can find such a paragraph to point out to your employee, if necessary.
• I don't work with confidential information at all. Absolutely every company will have people who don't have direct access to information systems or important documentation. But that doesn't mean they can't become a weak link exploited by cybercriminals. It does mean you need to pay close attention to these employees, as their good nature and desire to help could backfire on you. This is especially true for outside personnel you hire, for example, for office cleaning. Here, it's important to explain everything in detail, point out potential risks and dangers, and highlight those points that online attackers might exploit. The principle of forewarned is forearmed applies here.

Experience shows that most employees commit actions that are dangerous to the business not because they genuinely intend to cause harm. There are many other factors at play. For example, some don't realize their actions could cause problems. Others simply don't understand what they need to protect themselves from. This means they might open a contract with an .msi extension without even realizing it's dangerous. Still others act under the influence of emotion, commit irrational actions, and then can't explain why they entered their username and password on a phishing site.

There are countless such examples. The difficulty is that information security specialists often don't pay attention to all these factors. Many companies still operate under the principle that everyone should know everything about protecting corporate data. This often leads to extremely serious and unpleasant consequences. But such approaches need to be fundamentally reconsidered, and a focus should be placed on building information security within a given company around its employees.

The Nuances of Building Information Security Around People

Building information security around people will require the implementation of a fairly impressive set of measures. In particular, this includes solutions such as:

1. Providing technical assistance. Today, there are many services and solutions designed to mitigate vulnerabilities associated with human error. A good example here is two-factor authentication. Even if a hacker manages to gain access to user logins and passwords, they will still be unable to connect to the system, as they will not receive push notifications. Ultimately, stealing such a connection becomes much more difficult, which will generally discourage hackers from pursuing such plans altogether.
2. Increasing control over user activity. Here, we're talking about using PAM systems, which can identify groups of users with higher access levels to sensitive information and then monitor their actions more closely. For example, such a system would allow you to see that your finance manager isn't simply working with reports but is copying them to a flash drive, or that an ordinary employee is attempting to connect to a server that isn't part of their responsibilities. Other employee activity monitoring systems work similarly. They can record employee activity logs and transmit the relevant information to information security specialists, allowing them to identify the most vulnerable employees within the company.
3. Regular employee training. Using monitoring services, you can see how your staff is complying with cybersecurity requirements and schedule appropriate training. It's important to understand that providing a series of videos describing password management isn't enough in this case: it's important to demonstrate vulnerabilities and how to combat them. This works much better than abstract examples. It's important to understand that such training should be conducted regularly, as vulnerabilities are constantly changing, as are countermeasures. This will also help you assess and maintain employee awareness of potential risks and threats.
4. Consider employee characteristics. Each person is unique, with their own personality, responsibility, and level of information security awareness. One employee will lock their screen even if they're away from their desk for five minutes, while another won't, even if they have to leave the office for a while. This means it's important to provide equal training opportunities for everyone, adequate feedback, and assistance in using various services that will help maintain awareness. о потенциальных рисках на высоком уровне и противостоять им.
5. Constant motivation. The simplest solution here is to clearly demonstrate the problems caused by certain employee actions and what happens to people when their confidential data ends up online. In other words, it's best to move away from hypothetical examples and toward real-life examples tied directly to a specific individual. Experience shows that if an employee learns to pay adequate attention to protecting their own data, they will treat corporate information with the same scrupulousness.
6. Respect for employees. One of the most important tasks here is to avoid portraying someone as an enemy of the business, even if they make certain mistakes. At least if you understand that their actions were unintentional. We mustn't forget that we are all human beings who can easily fall under the crosshairs of social engineering with our characteristic haste and forgetfulness. We simply need to explain which areas require special attention to avoid similar problems in the future.

Along with these general recommendations, it's also worth highlighting a number of practical solutions that will help ensure a decent level of information security while taking into account the human factor.

Practical Solutions for Ensuring Information Security by Employees

Improving the information security situation within a single company is the result of implementing comprehensive measures, including the following:

• Create a dedicated training platform. Here, you can upload a series of simple videos demonstrating the problem, its causes and consequences, run tests, and use other basic training methods. Such courses are useful both for training new employees and for raising awareness of existing staff and keeping their knowledge current. Try to design materials that are as easy to understand as possible. Large volumes of complex information are not needed here. Focus on the basics, such as the need to use complex passwords and change them promptly, and explain the importance of paying extra attention when working with emails. This means that even those unfamiliar with IT understand what's required and why. If you don't have the time or opportunity to create full-fledged courses on specialized platforms, you can occasionally hold lectures and seminars with visual presentations. It's best to conduct these separately for each department or specific group of employees. This way, you can devote more attention to each specialist and maintain their interest in the topic.
• Organize newsletters. While it's good to conduct courses occasionally, it's also a good idea to periodically remind staff of the importance of maintaining high information security standards. The most convenient solution here is to use email newsletters. Alternatively, you can do this whenever it's time for a user to change their password. Even if employees don't read the email, they'll still be able to see the reminder. Such a mailing list can also be used to notify employees in the event of an emergency within the company that requires not only familiarization but also the implementation of certain measures.
• Update internal documents regularly. It is important that they always comply with the legal framework of the country in which you conduct your business. Many companies neglect these requirements, resulting in employees easily violating unwritten rules and regulations, often because they simply do not understand their importance. Here, too, it is essential to maintain maximum simplicity in the presentation of information. This way, you can be sure that each employee understands your expectations, making it much easier for them to follow the stated rules. Also, be sure to promptly notify employees of all updates to such documentation. Ideally, even create a familiarization sheet and collect signatures on it. It is worthwhile to conduct special work with the information security department: they must know where and how to find the necessary information in order to provide arguments to employees who require proof.
• Work with not only employees but also management. This category of users inherently has a higher level of access, including to confidential information. This means that business leaders must also strictly adhere to all these rules and set a good example for their subordinates. Don't forget to monitor management actions to eliminate potential risks. We would like to point out that the term "management" also includes the company's directorate. However, it's important to understand that, due to their specific nature, senior management is unlikely to manually change passwords or update operating systems. This means you will need to take on these responsibilities yourself, or, alternatively, automate such processes.
• Focus on convenience. Experience shows that most violations are committed by audiences because such tasks require excessive effort and time. Therefore, it's in your best interest to choose the simplest and most convenient security methods from all possible ones. If you implement all of this correctly, you can be sure that your employees will be actively involved in protecting corporate data.
• Show tangible successes. It's important to maintain communication with staff, consider the unique characteristics of each individual, and let them understand how their actions have contributed to the business in terms of maintaining current information security standards and requirements. Alternatively, you could establish statistics on your most responsible employees and, with management's approval, establish specific rewards for compliance. This will motivate staff to continue to adhere to these rules.
• Don't rely too much on trust: always verify everything. Here, we return again to the importance of monitoring employee activity. In some cases, you can even simulate phishing attacks, calls from third-party numbers, and a number of other actions that cybercriminals might resort to in an attempt to access the data they need. If certain employees fail the assessment, you'll need to launch training courses or conduct individual conversations, explaining the mistake and how they should have acted in a given situation.

But all these practical steps must be implemented as accurately as possible. I'll explain how to do this correctly later.

Choosing Solutions for People: A Sequence of Actions

The main difficulty in organizing information security around people is that it requires considering the characteristics and specific needs of virtually every employee. At this stage, the following recommendations will be helpful:

• Assess potential threats and focus on developing the skills that will help you counter them. You don't need to develop hypothetical solutions or tell employees about situations they won't encounter in your business. It's much more effective to work in conditions that are as close to real-life as possible. Here, you can simulate similar attacks, training staff to effectively detect and prevent them, and practicing in conditions as close to real-life as possible. This means you can help employees understand what will happen if they make a mistake, ignore a potential risk, or allow unauthorized access.
• Ensure high levels of security for the most vulnerable and critical elements. This includes those that can directly impact the stability and functionality of the business. Here, you can develop a possible attack scenario, identify the most likely leak methods, and propose effective protection methods. It's important to understand that an information security incident can occur within any business; no one is immune. However, it's important to know how to respond to such incidents to prevent negative consequences for the company as a whole.
• Measure the awareness level of each individual employee. We've already discussed that there are no universal solutions that work perfectly in every case. Therefore, you need to demonstrate maximum flexibility, including taking into account the threats facing each employee and selecting the most relevant countermeasures. Also, make it a habit to check the relevance of all these rules and how correctly the employee is following them once a quarter. If any mistakes or errors are identified, don't scold them, but rather conduct a follow-up consultation and clarify all the details again.
• Organize integration with access management processes. It's important to integrate employees into processes organized based on IDM/AIM systems. This will provide an additional layer of protection. For example, if an employee decides to connect to one of your company's systems, their access level will be checked first, and then a decision will be made automatically about granting it. In this case, it's also important to consider the technical feasibility of implementing such a plan. For example, if the IDM or awareness systems you currently use in practice cannot be integrated or lack an API, then they need to be replaced with more modern and technologically advanced solutions.
• Listen to your colleagues' opinions. A high level of corporate security can only be ensured in an environment where all departments of the company actively collaborate. Alternatively, it would be a good idea to establish collaboration between the IT department and HR specialists. HR specialists have a keen understanding of the specifics of employees' work and the challenges they face in practice. This information will allow information security specialists to choose the most effective solutions to the problems at hand.

As you can see, the work ahead is truly complex and extensive, but unfortunately, no modern business can do without it. You can also study the material "Improving Information Security Infrastructure with DLP." Perhaps the information presented here will be useful to you in practice. Only by following these guidelines will you be able to build an information security system within your business that will minimize potential threats and ensure operational stability even in high-risk environments.

Summing Up

In today's review, we clearly demonstrated why humans are the weak link in a company's overall information security system. This means that they are the key to building a set of measures aimed at ensuring adequate corporate data protection. We emphasized the importance of regular employee training and skills development, simulating situations that may occur within your business, and the importance of determining the security level of each individual employee. We also provided recommendations for integration with other solutions, such as DLP, IDM, and SOC.

Once again, we want to emphasize that in the pursuit of effective technical solutions for information security, it's important not to forget about real users, while also paying due attention to the security of their confidential data.

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