SoSafe
flow-image

How to Measure Behavior

Published by SoSafe

The power of behavioral science in cyber security

There is no way of denying it: Information security is one of the most pressing challenges organizations face these days. Not only have cyberattacks become more common – they are also more sophisticated than ever, as many criminals have understood the power of social engineering – making their attacks tricky to detect and even trickier to avert. 

As such, the social engineering tactics used by attackers to emotionally manipulate their victims are strongly connected to human behavioral patterns. And so must the respective security measures designed to protect organizations from these attacks. The dynamic changes in the threat landscape have urged many security professionals to rethink their protection strategies and move from mere technical measures toward a more holistic, human-centered approach to cyber security. As part of this paradigm shift, behavioral change has become a key term – if not the key term – that organizations now focus on to build a strong security culture. A culture engaging employees to reflect on their behavior and build secure routines gives cybercriminals less of a chance to do harm.  

Understanding the behavior of both attackers and users, and how successful certain measures are in changing user behavior, therefore gives organizations the opportunity to anticipate attacks and neutralize them early on. Clear and meaningful behavioral metrics not only help decision makers understand how employees react to different types of threats, but also to determine whether a specific type of training works for them. Additionally, it gives them the opportunity to constantly adapt their awareness initiatives based on these results. For example, if a specific team shows lower phishing reporting rates than others, some e-learning nudges might do the trick in getting these employees to better understand how to detect and report suspicious emails. Ultimately, behavioral metrics powerfully illustrate the cultural impact the programs have on an organization’s overall security. Such tangible metrics are invaluable tools in discussions with all stakeholders involved, from C-level executives to employees. 

Download Now

box-icon-download

Required fields*

Please agree to the conditions

By requesting this resource you agree to our terms of use. All data is protected by our Privacy Notice. If you have any further questions please email dataprotection@headleymedia.com.

Related Categories Confidentiality, Email Security, Threat Intelligence, Password Manager, Firewall

More resources from SoSafe