The first challenge security professionals who want to implement security awareness training face is that this training is usually perceived as a punishment or a chore. This perception varies based on how the training is contextualized, its delivery method, and the organizational culture in which it is introduced. As the renowned psychologist and behaviorist B.F. Skinner put it, “The behavior of...

Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day for romance. It’s a time of year when cyber criminals and scammers launch attacks such as phishing , vishing , smishing , and social engineering . Australia has begun issuing warnings to singles, informing them of the “pig butchering” or “romance baiting” scam that’s prominent on Valentine’s Day. It starts with the attacker assuming the identity of an attractive...

There's a reason why video games are such a popular pastime for adults and children alike. They keep the users engaged by dividing the steps required to accomplish a task and rewarding them at every step of the way through points or in-game items. This strength leads to more immersion for the player and creates a sense of involvement with the content and story. The concept that makes this a...

When it comes to cyber crime, hackers like to locate the most high-value targets, whether it’s a piece of infrastructure or an individual with access to privileged information, all while expending the least effort possible. In most examples of spear phishing attacks, a criminal will send out targeted attacks via email to multiple users. In these emails, the attacker will use high-pressure...

Spear phishing occurs when cyber criminals deploy targeted attacks against individuals and businesses alike via email. Using savvy tactics, hackers collect sensitive data about specific parties to construct messages that sound familiar and trustworthy. As its name implies, spear phishing falls under the larger umbrella category of phishing attacks that victimize end users and organizations daily...

Leveraging a spirit of competition to drive engagement and create a security culture Gamification is a popular concept these days, and for good reason. With gamification, you can develop a game for learning more about a serious topic while also getting the learner to approach winning that game with the same fervor they would when playing for entertainment. So what happens when you integrate...