How To Prevent Human Error in Cybersecurity

Human errors in cybersecurity can result in cyber attacks that lead to data breaches, financial losses and irreparable impacts to businesses. Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report found that more than 68% of data breaches were caused by human error. Human factors that can contribute to a breach include using weak passwords, reusing the same passwords or employees falling victim to phishing scams. 

To prevent human error in cybersecurity, equip your employees with a password manager, require them to enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), implement the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) and provide cybersecurity training for every employee in your organization. 

Continue reading to learn more about human error in cybersecurity and how to prevent it from happening. 

What is human error in cybersecurity?

Human error in cybersecurity refers to security breaches and data leaks that result from human actions and decisions. Human errors are considered one of the top cybersecurity threats to organizations.

Since human errors are rooted in human behavior, educating and training your employees can help prevent breaches that damage your organization’s reputation. In particular, improving your organization’s security awareness and implementing cybersecurity best practices can help reduce human errors.

Best practices to prevent human error in cybersecurity

To minimize the risk of breaches caused by human error, it’s important for organizations to not only use cybersecurity solutions but also provide regular training for their employees. Here are some specific ways to do this.

Manage passwords with a password manager

An effective way to manage passwords and avoid human errors is to use a password manager. Password managers create strong passwords and store them in a secure digital vault. This eliminates the risk of employees using the same password multiple times or creating passwords that are easy to guess. 

With a password manager, passwords can be securely shared between employees. This limits access to only those who need it and makes it easier to transfer credentials when onboarding and offboarding employees. 

Enforce MFA

Multi-factor authentication is a security measure that requires you to provide different types of authentication before granting access to an account. When you enable MFA, you provide your login credentials and at least one additional authentication method, like a TOTP code, to access your online accounts. 

With MFA enabled, if a cybercriminal were to steal an employee’s credentials in a phishing attack, they wouldn’t be able to access the account because they couldn’t provide the extra form of authentication.

Implement least-privilege access

The principle of least privilege ensures that users and applications are only given the access rights necessary to perform their jobs. Maintaining a minimum level of privilege reduces human error by minimizing the possibility of employees accessing or changing sensitive information they don’t need access to. Implementing least privilege access requires that employee privileges be regularly reviewed and updated based on changes in job duties.

Provide cybersecurity training for your organization

Employee cybersecurity education and training reduce human error and mitigate the impact of cyber attacks on an organization. Employees should be trained on the following:

• The importance of keeping software and devices up to date
• Being aware of social engineering attempts and how they are used to target organizations
• Avoiding clicking on suspicious links and attachments
• Spotting illegitimate websites
• Connecting to a VPN when using public WiFi networks

Use Keeper® to reduce human error

Human error is one of the biggest cybersecurity threats. It can compromise the privacy of both organizations and individuals. However, with prevention and training, human error risks can be reduced. 

One of the most effective ways to reduce human error is through a password management solution. Use a reliable password manager, like Keeper, to set up, manage and store your passwords, passkeys, TOTP codes, sensitive information and more. Password managers create complex passwords that are stored securely, eliminating the risk of password reuse and relying on weak passwords.Want to experience how Keeper can help reduce human error in cybersecurity? Sign up for a free 14-day business trial today.