Human Error

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disgruntled ex-disney employee threat

Disgruntled ex-Disney employee highlights insider threat

The Walt Disney Company, which has long had a history of troubled labor relations, recently found itself the victim of a disgruntled former employee. According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint against the former employee, Michael Scheuer, Disney discovered a security breach allegedly used to make its menus unusable, together with the redirection of QR codes to direct Disney customers to a website calling for a boycott of Israel. More seriously, it alleged that the threat actor manipulated allergen information on Disney menus, indicating that certain menu items were safe for people with peanut allergies when, in fact, they could have been potentially deadly for some diners. Scheuer is also alleged to have conducted denial of service attacks on four former colleagues and to have paid visits outside the home of one of them.

Shadow AI for Companies

‘Shadow AI’ is putting companies at risk

The increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by staff ahead of IT departments involvement has resulted in the growing problem of ‘shadow AI’.  “Similar to the early days of cloud adoption, workers are using AI tools before IT departments formally buy them. The result is “shadow AI,” employee usage of AI tools through personal accounts that are not sanctioned by - or even known to - the company,” says Silicon Valley-based data protection company Cyberhaven’s report: How Employees are Leading the Charge in AI Adoption and Putting Company Data at Risk.

Organization staff as the biggest security risk

Organizations’ staff are their biggest security risk

Careless employees are the main root cause of data loss in organizations. According to the cybersecurity and compliance company Proofpoint, almost three-quarters (74 percent) of CISOs believe human error is their biggest cyber vulnerability. This is up from 60 percent in 2023 and 56 percent in 2022. Even more (80 percent) believe human risk and employee negligence will be the key cybersecurity concerns for the next two years.  “Our research shows that CISOs generally believe their people are aware of their critical role in defending the business from cyber threats. That CISOs still see their people as the primary risk factor suggests a disconnect between employees’ understanding of cyber threats and their ability to keep them at bay,” says Proofpoint.

IT Security Error

IT security responsible for 14% of cyber-breaches

A staggering 14 percent of cyber incidents are due to senior IT security staff errors, compounded by a further 15% of errors caused by other IT staff. According to a new study published by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, over the last two years, 77 percent of companies experienced between one and six cybersecurity breaches, with IT security staff being directly culpable for almost a third of all cybersecurity breaches.

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