Cyber Security Mindfulness

Cyber security mindfulness means being fully present and attentive in all digital interactions such as opening and reading an email, clicking a link in a text message, or sharing sensitive information with someone. Most security breaches are not from sophisticated attacks; in fact, almost 75% of breaches involve human error. Errors such as accidentally clicking a phishing link, sending sensitive data to the wrong person or using a default or weak password are minor lapses in judgment, but they significantly impact organizations or data.

By practicing cyber-mindfulness, we can slow down, assess risks before acting and make security-minded decisions. This approach to cyber security strengthens your defense against cyberattacks.

Is multitasking worth it?

We all want to be effective. We want to save time and money and accomplish all our daily tasks, so we multitask. We quickly read and respond to an email while we are in a meeting, or we send a message to someone while creating a presentation. We think that this is more productive, but it can actually hinder us and our organization.

Each time we switch focus rapidly, we lose some cognitive attention. We’re not using our full brainpower to see who that email is from or where we just sent sensitive data. We’re essentially telling our brain that tasks, items or pieces of information are not worth remembering.

When we act this way, we are more vulnerable to making a mistake. Attackers know this and they use it to their advantage. They use tiny spelling alterations to make a malicious link look like an authentic one, knowing that you won’t see the difference if you act quickly.

Cybercriminals don’t just use sophisticated attacks to breach data: they exploit human psychology to get you to cause a security incident. Social engineers create attacks that are designed to trigger an emotional response, such as fear, curiosity, urgency or even trust. These attacks lead people to act quickly or out of character.

For example, an email says there is a critical security alert or a request from an executive. The pressure is on! Attackers know that you don’t want to be the one who has an infected computer, so you’ll do anything they say to clear it up. And social engineers understand that pressure is on an employee to provide important information to an executive, so they trick you into handing over sensitive data.

By recognizing how social engineering attacks impact our emotions and behaviors, employees can stay in control of their responses and avoid falling victim to cyberattacks. Being mindful and deliberate with actions helps protect everyone.

By adopting mindful habits, employees can help combat cyberattacks. Implement these three easy but powerful actions today!

Pause before you click.

Hover over links to verify their destination before clicking or bypass the link altogether by going directly to the intended website. If an email seems urgent or unexpected, take a moment to assess whether it could be a phishing attempt.

Double-check recipients.

Before sending sensitive information, ensure that you are sharing it with the correct person. Email autocomplete features can easily lead to sending data to the wrong contact.

Treat sensitive information with care.

Think before sharing credentials, company data or personal details. Cybercriminals often use social engineering tactics to manipulate employees into providing sensitive information.

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