April 11, 2006

Human Error - 60% of Security Breaches

Computers are NOT perfect, we all know that. They break down often. However, HUMANS, not computers are the biggest cause of security breaches. You can't smile or flirt with a computer and get it to give up a password. You can't input an incorrect password into a computer system and hope it makes a mistake. The password must be right or wrong.

And sadly, organizations are doing little to address the most serious threat to their information security and technology infrastructure, according to new research released today by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).

Yet despite the prominent role that human behavior plays in information security breaches, just 29 percent of the 574 organizations that participated in the survey said that security training is a requirement at their company. Only 36 percent of organizations offer end-user security awareness training.

"The primary cause of security breaches - human error - is not being adequately addressed," said Brian McCarthy, chief operating officer, CompTIA. "The person behind the PC continues to be the primary area where weaknesses are exposed."

"As we get better from a technology standpoint, many organizations seem to believe that technology solutions alone are sufficient to turn back all attacks, and a level of complacency may be setting in," McCarthy said. "The fact remains that no technology on its own can be completely successful without an equally strong commitment to information security awareness and training throughout every level of the organization."

If you want to better secure your organization make sure your HUMANS are trained in being aware of security threats.

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