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In today’s digital landscape, businesses in the UAE face an ever-growing range of cybersecurity threats. While organizations invest heavily in technology-based security measures, they often overlook one critical aspect: the behavior of their own workforce.
Employees, intentionally or unintentionally, can pose significant cybersecurity risks. This is where workforce behavior analysis plays a crucial role. Understanding and analyzing employee behavior helps businesses enhance their security posture and protect themselves from cyber threats.
Kinds of Cybersecurity Threats Employees Pose
Employees, often unknowingly, can become weak links in the cybersecurity chain. Here are some key threats that arise from workforce behavior:
Phishing and Social Engineering:
Cybercriminals exploit human vulnerabilities through phishing emails, social engineering tactics, and other manipulative techniques. Employees may inadvertently click on malicious links, share sensitive information, or fall victim to fraudulent schemes, leading to data breaches or system compromise.
Insider Threats:
Insider threats occur when employees, either intentionally or due to negligence, misuse their access privileges or exploit internal resources for personal gain. This can involve unauthorized access to sensitive data, intellectual property theft, or intentional damage to systems.
Unsecured Devices and Networks:
Employees connecting to company networks through personal devices or utilizing unsecured Wi-Fi networks can expose sensitive information to interception. Weak passwords, unpatched software, and lack of encryption further exacerbate the risk.
Rising Employee-related Cybersecurity Incidents in the UAE
The UAE has witnessed a rise in employee-related cybersecurity incidents, emphasizing the significance of addressing this critical area. Let’s explore a general overview of the growing concern:
Spear-phishing Attacks on Financial Institutions
In recent years, prominent financial institutions in the UAE have fallen victim to spear-phishing attacks resulting in financial losses and confidential data leaks. Such attacks exploit employees’ susceptibility to targeted emails, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive databases and subsequent data breaches. Spear-phishing incidents highlight the need for robust employee awareness and security training to combat threats effectively.
Malware Infection through Compromised Website
Major organizations, including telecommunications companies, have encountered cybersecurity disruptions due to employee-related incidents. As per a report by The National News, millions of malware attacks are carried out in the UAE every year. Malware infects critical systems, resulting in compromised data and service downtimes. Such attacks have grown significantly since the pandemic, and experts attribute remote systems used by employees working from home to be one of the prominent causes.
Ransomware Attack via Unsecured Personal Device
Organizations in the UAE have also faced ransomware attacks due to employee-related vulnerabilities. Experts claim that ransomware attacks in the UAE exploit gaps in basic security measures and leverage legitimate credentials belonging to users of the victim computing network. A report released in July 2022 stated that 77% of organizations in the UAE suffered ransomware attacks in the previous 24 months, resulting in severe operational disruptions and financial losses.
What is Workforce Behavior Analysis?
Workforce Behavior Analysis involves comprehensively studying and understanding employee behavior within an organization to identify potential cybersecurity risks, patterns, and anomalies. By monitoring and analyzing employee activities, interactions, and digital footprints, organizations gain valuable insights into employee behavior and their impact on security.
Various Aspects of Workforce Behavior Analysis
Employee Monitoring:
Workforce behavior analysis encompasses monitoring employee actions, such as email communications, system logins, file transfers, and website access. It helps detect suspicious activities, policy violations, and indicators of compromise.
Endpoint Behavior Analysis:
Analyzing the behavior of endpoints, such as workstations, laptops, and mobile devices, can provide insights into potential threats, including malware infections, data exfiltration, or unusual network activity.
User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA):
UEBA focuses on understanding typical employee behavior and creating baselines. It then employs machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies, deviations, or behavioral patterns indicative of potential risks or insider threats.
Collaboration and Communication Monitoring:
Analyzing employee interactions on collaboration platforms, chat applications, and email communications helps identify any malicious intent, data leakage, or inappropriate sharing of sensitive information.
Benefits of Workforce Behavior Analysis
Early Threat Detection:
By analyzing workforce behavior, organizations can proactively identify potential threats, such as suspicious activities, malware infections, or unauthorized access attempts, enabling swift response and mitigation.
Insider Threat Mitigation:
Workforce behavior analysis helps detect and address insider threats by monitoring abnormal behavior, access patterns, and data transfers, minimizing the risk of data breaches, intellectual property theft, or sabotage.
Enhanced Incident Response:
Understanding employee behavior aids in incident response by providing contextual information to security teams. This enables faster and more accurate incident investigation, containment, and remediation.
Policy Compliance:
Workforce behavior analysis ensures adherence to security policies, acceptable use policies, and regulatory requirements. It identifies policy violations, such as unauthorized software installations or inappropriate data sharing, allowing organizations to take corrective measures.
Employee Awareness and Training:
Analyzing workforce behavior provides valuable insights into areas where additional cybersecurity training or awareness programs are needed. It helps organizations educate employees about potential risks, safe browsing practices, and the importance of adhering to security protocols.
Mechsoft Can Help You Ace Workforce Behavior Analysis
Mechsoft is one of the leading Cybersecurity as a Service providers in the UAE, with core expertise in vulnerability testing. With our novel technologies and security tools, we can help your monitor employee behavior efficiently and identify potential attack vectors.
Mechsoft experts can also develop training modules and conduct workshops for your employees to help the avoid vulnerable practices and perform tasks within the computing networks responsibly. Book an appointment with our cybersecurity champions today.
