New data shows successful attacks on internal networks, cloud environments, and POS systems all are very susceptible to this common attack vector.
This should be the last thing you want to hear today – phishing emails and simple social engineering tactics are all that’s needed to gain access to your organization’s network, applications, and data. According to security vendor Trustwave in their 2020 Global Security Report, the combination of email-based phishing attacks and social engineering are nearly always the #1 attack vector in an average of 50% of incidents, up from 33% the previous year. Here’s the breakdown:
- 64% of corporate/internal network breaches
- 45% of breaches in the cloud
- 75% of attacks on POS systems
To make matters worse, according to Trustwave, the median number of days between intrusion and detection is nearly 3 months (85 days) if detected externally (e.g., if data is breached, utilized, and tracked back to the breach) and still 8.5 days if detected internally by security solutions.
According to the report, the absence of users participating in identify and stopping malicious emails by not engaging with them is a big part of the problem:
“It is clear the human component of security, with the rank and file being aware of social engineering tactics, and how to combat them, is lagging.”
To address this issue, organizations need to employ continual Security Awareness Training that educates users on the prevalence of phishing campaigns, the tactics used in social engineering scams, and the importance of their role in organizational security.
