Phishing is the Main Cause of Cybersecurity Breaches in 2021

The latest data from Dark Reading’s annual Strategic Security Survey shows phishing continues to be an organization’s biggest problem. With 53% of organizations citing phishing as the cause of a security breach, organizations are keenly aware of the problem when mixing users, social engineering and phishing emails.

According to the survey:

• 58% say users being socially engineered via phishing or other scams is the most significant endpoint security concern.
• 48% of respondents say that if their organization experiences a major data breach in the next 12 months, the most likely cause will be a negligent end user.

So, users are the weak link in the security chain in most organizations. This requires some shoring up of security efforts around users, including Security Awareness Training to turn the user from a security liability to an asset who aids in protecting the organization.

According to the survey of those organizations that experienced a cybersecurity breach in the last 12 months:

• 23% reported network disruptions and application unavailability.
• 17% say they experienced a major financial loss.
• 15% reported fraud.

Phishing and the user have been proven to be an effective initial attack vector. And with the potential damage an attack can have, it’s imperative to strengthen every part of your security stance – including the user.

Learn more about the importance of Security Awareness Training.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at KnowBe4.