IT Security: How users and their endpoints are exploited by "bad hackers", who will eventually find their way to their critical data.
It’s common sense that users are the weakest link in the IT Security chain globally, especially careless or uneducated users. But how exactly do “bad hackers” exploit this ignorance or carelessness to “crack” user endpoints and break into corporate accounts? Many of the methods they use involve only a small part of psychological trickery, as phishing and social engineering tend to play a significant role in the majority of attacks.
We continue previous article , and end trilogy by referring to the best - worst ways that users themselves "leave their cards open" in a potential attack.
6. Sharing personal information on social media
Social media is another favorite hunting ground for hackers everywhere, for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest is research. The kind of information people share on social networking sites is also the kind that can make it easier for an attacker to guess passwords or the answers to password reset questions. The information posted could also provide enough information about the target user for the hacker to craft a highly effective spearphishing message for them. Social networking sites and plug-ins or graphics created to mimic popular social networking sites are also a great way to distribute malware. For example, attackers often trick users into clicking fake 'like' buttons on sites that actually lead to a link to install malware. This so-called lifejacking is just one of the many tricks used by hackers to "rip off" the social cat user.
7. Thinking you're an IT specialist (okay, unless you really are!)
The BYOD phenomenon has trained users to take charge of IT security issues themselves and to think they can handle them without the help of security experts. Many people think that self-service is normal. The more freedom users have to install what they want, when they want, on their enterprise systems and transfer data to non-sanctioned cloud resources, the greater the risk of an organization being compromised. Organizations must be able to find a way to allow users to do their jobs freely, but at the same time enforce a system of data governance and control during the processes.
This article may have come to an end, but you..
