What is the Human Firewall
Human firewall is a group of people who work together to detect cyber attacks like ransomware and phishing attacks. These attacks can bypass your computer security systems. The amount of data that is available has increased dramatically with the advent of digital technology and increase in digitization. Security is more important than ever because of the increase in data.
A regular firewall blocks malicious traffic from entering your network and prevents data loss. A human firewall is similar to a firewall. It focuses on protecting your network. Employees must be trained to manage their data effectively and prevent data loss. Human firewalls are essential as they can prevent major hacker attacks. They are the last-line defense. However, they must be trained well and kept vigilant. This blog will provide more information about the weaknesses in the human firewall. It will also show you how to strengthen your security system.
Areas of Weakness to the Human Firewall
1. Phishing
Many employees have fallen for phishing scams, which is one of the easiest ways to be hacked. You can reduce your chances of falling for phishing scams by knowing what type of phishing attacks exist. Emails that claim your Facebook account has been disabled should not be trusted.
Spear Phishing is becoming more common as scammers and hackers have learned to make these attacks appear more legit by using personalized information. These attacks can be more targeted and therefore more dangerous. It is important that individuals are made aware of requests that are not standard and can recognize signs of these attacks.
Also read: Top 10 Anti-Phishing Tools and Software
2. Theft/Loss
Theft or loss of devices is another way your network could be compromised. Since the rise of work-from-home practices, it is more common to bring your device in. Individuals may not be able to adequately secure their devices and do not have anti-theft protection. Secure any mobile device that holds personal information about the company. You can make sure that emails and other information are not accessed by your mobile device by using a fingerprint or facial recognition feature to secure it.
3. Malware
When you visit any compromised website, the most likely time malware can be installed on your computer is when you browse them. Sites that you visit often can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Popups on websites are one of the most popular ways malware can be downloaded. It is essential to educate individuals about malware and its workings. It is important that individuals are educated about how malware can be installed. This will help you secure your network.
How to Strengthen Your Human Firewall
1. Education
A little education is key to building a human firewall. You must first get all employees of your Company to learn about the security measures that can be taken to protect it. It is important to provide ongoing training on security threats and best practices for avoiding falling for them.
There are greater chances of your computer security being compromised when you use mass emailing tools. It is important to be educated on the best practices and avoid mistakes in such situations. An experiment can be conducted in which you fake a phishing message. If they cannot identify the email, they will be redirected to a training page which will help them learn more about phishing attacks.
2. MFA or 2FA
Today, multi-factor authentication or Two-factor authentication has grown in popularity. These are vital in strengthening the human firewall as well as providing additional security for individuals in case of cyber attacks. Multi-factor authentication requires that individuals secure their accounts using two things. They must have something they know and something else they have. They know the password.
Something they have is either their phone or a device that can send them an OTP (one-time password) to confirm it. To log in to an account, enter the password of the individual and the OTP that was sent to your device. Hackers cannot gain access to an individual’s account by ensuring that Multi-Factor authentication and 2FA are in effect. Although it is important that you follow such human firewall procedures, this does not guarantee security. Hackers might become smart enough to create codes.
3. Devices Issues By the Company
Remote working and work-from-home policies are becoming more popular among people. In such an environment, personal devices used for official work are increasingly common. Cyber-attacks and malware might be more likely on our devices. It is crucial to ensure that these devices are protected before we use them for office work. It is much easier for companies to issue devices to employees. This makes it easier to implement security measures and secure the software. You will be able remotely to install and manage these tools and increase the safety of your sensitive data.
4. Phishing tests
To test whether employees are aware of the dangers associated with phishing attacks, and how they can protect themselves, administering phishing tests is a great way to find out.
Also read: Top 10 Firewall Software
5. A Strong Cybersecurity Culture
Openly discussing cybersecurity and vulnerabilities is one way to build a culture of security awareness. Provide security updates regularly, conduct phishing testing, train staff, and promote team culture.
6. Take the Right Measures
You must ensure that your company has the right tools and uses them. Develop a comprehensive security awareness platform for your employees. You should consider data protection software, network security monitoring tools, and encryption tools. Web vulnerability scanning tools and antivirus software are some other examples of security solutions.
7. Human Firewall Plan
Security guidelines must be clear and complete. They should cover a wide range of topics such as social media usage, email security, and password policy. Employers must hold employees accountable for following security regulations, by enforcing them.
It is therefore important that every organization has a human firewall system. This will help to strengthen their security systems.
