Degree Of Awareness
A story was recently shared with us about a college student and her experience in finding a job. The student is in graphic design and has a portfolio. When she came across a well-known company that creates sports-branded gear that was hiring, it was something she decided to pursue. She sent the company her portfolio electronically, and they set up an interview using a chat forum. They asked a few questions and then asked her to fill out forms that were going to put her in the queue to begin receiving work from them. She completed each one and recommended this to friends, who were all excited about this opportunity. Everything seemed normal until one of her friends paused when he was asked to give his social security number, address, date of birth, and banking information for payments rendered.
The opportunity was not real. Instead these were hackers and they had just been handed these young adults' entire identities by merely dangling a carrot of opportunity in front of them. In a world where so much business is conducted online, this job interview interaction did not seem abnormal. Electronic communication is their norm and oversharing is all part of the game.
Hackers know our weaknesses; they know how to gain our trust and they customize their attacks based on the audience. You may think you know what you would do in this situation but that’s because you can see things clearly from the outside when you aren’t the target. When you’re in it, you’re less likely to see it so clearly. Humans are after all, only human.
As we work to protect our homes, our businesses, our identity, and our families, let’s remember that smart cybersecurity is like a streaming account – everyone is going to have a different profile but still will be using the same platform. Yet, the commonality among all of it is that humans are the weak link that will inevitably be the way a cybercriminal gets in the door. We need to be less judgmental in how it happened, and more united in making sure that it doesn’t happen. We link virtual arms to make a strong defense, and know that each of us need the other to be stronger. To learn more about creating a strong line of defense for you business, reach out to your Pendello Solutions team today.
At Pendello Solutions, we turn technology hurdles into powerful assets. Our technology solutions fuel growth, productivity, and efficiency, through continuous innovation and strategic solutions, empowering your business beyond the imaginable. Contact us today to discover the Pendello Method.