'People aren’t perfect, and everyone knows it': Security experts still see humans as the biggest threat to their business

Human error continues to pose the greatest threat to cybersecurity, according to industry experts. A recent Kaseya survey of over 1,100 IT professionals and managed security service providers (MSPs) has revealed that 68% of respondents cite human error as the most concerning attack vector over the next year. This perspective contrasts with the 55% who highlight email-based scams as the top threat.

The survey indicates that user practices and a lack of training are the primary contributing factors in recent security incidents, with 80% of contributing factors linked to poor user behavior or insufficient cybersecurity education. Other significant concerns identified in the survey include social engineering (26%), distraction (23%), and email attacks (55%).

Despite acknowledging the human element, many organizations remain under-resourced to address these challenges. Only 20% of surveyed IT departments reported having budgets that are growing in line with the risks they face, with 77% describing themselves as under-resourced. According to David Baggett, SVP and General Manager of Security Suite at Kaseya, "People aren't perfect, and everyone knows it," emphasizing the persistent nature of human error in cybersecurity.

To achieve true cyber resilience, Baggett suggests that organizations must factor in human error and poor practices. Rather than aiming to eliminate mistakes, the focus should be on building an organization that can withstand these challenges. "The path to true cyber resilience isn't about eliminating mistakes. It's about building an organization that can withstand them.

Expect mistakes, account for constraints, and engineer around them." Kaseya advocates for the development of security systems and practices capable of withstanding human errors.