Breach Fatigue: the hidden security risk?

Another day, another major security breach in the headlines.

But is the message getting through to your workforce?

Just within the last few days (at the time of writing), we’ve had:

• 8.8 million Danish pension records being compromised, because an attacker was able to use the password ‘123456’ to gain access

• High-tech fridges being taken over and turned up to 50 degrees Celsius at hundreds of French supermarkets, ruining vast quantities of chilled food

• Hackers obtaining personal information of ‘potentially millions’ of customers at the online fashion retailer Asos

Given how regular and impactful these headlines are, you’d therefore like to think that the message would be getting through to employees (at all levels) that working safely and securely is a top priority.

But is it? Human errors remain a factor in the majority of all data breaches - 62% according to Verizon. You can have the greatest, most expensive and most customised security platform known to man - but there’s still only so much you can do when people still fall for simple, well-known tactics like email phishing.

So perhaps we’re seeing what I like to call ‘breach fatigue’: it doesn’t matter how many training sessions, big headlines or IT warnings people see, because maybe they’re becoming desensitised to them. That’s on top of the usual risks like employees finding workarounds when they find security measures irritating, or when they work through browser-based SaaS platforms on public or domestic Wi-Fi.

What can businesses do to counter ‘breach fatigue’? 

• Is it time for businesses to come down harder on employee errors - or will that lead to resentment?

• Should employee IT and security training become more frequent - or will that just lead to the message washing over people?

• Should employees have to pass security courses before being allowed to work remotely - or will that lead to a talent drain?

It’s a difficult problem for any business to solve - but nonetheless a very important one. Join the conversation on LinkedIn to share your ideas.