Enforcing The Human Firewall: The Key to Preventing Cyber Attacks

While firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems serve as essential security layers, human error remains the weakest link in cybersecurity. This is where the concept of a human firewall comes into play. A human firewall refers to an organization's employees who are trained and equipped to recognize and prevent cyber threats. By fostering a culture of security awareness, companies can significantly reduce risks posed by phishing, malware, and social engineering attacks.

In this article, we’ll explore how businesses can strengthen their human firewall, implement best practices, and ensure that employees become an active defense against cyber threats rather than a vulnerability.

A. What is a firewall?

To start with, we should explain what a firewall is. A firewall is a computer security network which monitors, controls and restricts ingoing and outgoing internet traffic. This means that a firewall is a software or hardware-based system that work as a gatekeeper between trusted and untrusted networks. Also, its purpose is to prevent malicious activity and engaging in unauthorized network activities.

So, firewalls are protecting unauthorized incoming connections which simply means that hackers:

1. Can’t access your data by connecting to your device.
2. Can’t take a control of your device.
3. Can’t filter your network no matter if it’s a home or office one.

3 types of firewalls

There are 3 most common types of firewalls:

• Proxy service works as a ‘’go-between’. This means that they prevent direct connections with customer devices and the incoming data packets. However, packet filtering firewalls work a bit slower than other types.

• Packet filtering uses its filters to compare each data packet, which network receives, to a set of established criteria.

• Stateful inspection examines a variety of data packets and compares them to the database of trustful information (for example: ports, IP addresses, and applications). In this type of firewall, incoming data is required to sufficiently match with the trusted information.
  
  

B. What is a human firewall?

So now, you may be wondering what is a meaning of human firewall. A human firewall is a ability to prepare your employees by training them to detect any threat such as phishing or malwares which might affect your business network.

Many attacks on the enterprises are caused by negligence of their employees. Therefore, humans are the weakest link in the cyber security of companies. Building human firewall for your business will require many training courses, and patience.

Next-Generation Firewalls

A Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) is a sophisticated network security device that represents a significant advancement over traditional firewalls. Unlike its predecessors, an NGFW combines the traditional firewall functionalities of packet filtering and stateful inspection with advanced features like deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and application awareness.

NGFWs often incorporate user and identity-based controls, providing enhanced security by allowing organizations to base policies on individual user identities or groups. They can also inspect encrypted traffic to detect and prevent threats hidden within SSL/TLS connections.

As cyber threats continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, NGFWs play a crucial role in providing comprehensive network protection, offering a proactive and adaptable security solution for modern organizations. Their ability to detect and mitigate a wide range of threats, combined with their granular control and visibility, make them a fundamental component of a robust cybersecurity strategy.

C. 7 characteristics of a human firewall

1. Cybersecurity awareness: Employees who form an effective human firewall are aware of potential cyber threats. They recognise the importance of security practices and are motivated to actively contribute to protection.

2. Training and awareness: A human firewall is strengthened by training that focuses on identifying threats, safe online behaviour, recognising phishing attacks and other security aspects.

3. Sense of responsibility: Employees who act as a human firewall take responsibility for the security of their digital interactions. They understand that their actions have an impact on the overall security of the company.

4. Secure online practices: Characteristics include practical knowledge of safe surfing on the Internet, avoiding unsafe links, recognising social engineering attempts and handling sensitive data with care.

5. Critical thinking skills: An effective human firewall has critical thinking skills to question suspicious activity and identify untrustworthy sources.

6. Regular updating: The ability to stay informed about new threats and keep security knowledge up to date is another important characteristic of a human firewall.

7. Cooperation and communication: People who form a human firewall proactively communicate about security concerns and cooperate with other team members to ensure security.

D. Strengthen your firewall's weakest link

The greatest threat to cybersecurity is human error. 

“We need to educate the end user in how to be safe and how to be aware" C.J. June - Paladin Data Corp. 

According to Experian's Managing Insider Risk Report, up to 60% of surveyed companies had a data breach in 2016, as a result of uninformed and negligent employees. This negligence can come in the form of opening unknown links, downloading unknown attachments and uploading personal and company information into a seemingly friendly site. These human errors are prompted by social engineering, where hackers take advantage of human behaviour to successfully manipulate the target into disclosing confidential information. 

Why is investing in your human firewall essential?

Investing in your workforce as a human firewall is not an expense, but a strategic necessity. It not only strengthens your overall security posture, but also protects your critical data and systems from ever-evolving threats.

• Minimising human error: Many security breaches are caused by unintentional human error, such as clicking on malicious links, disclosing login credentials or using weak passwords. Cyber security awareness training significantly reduces these risks by empowering employees to recognise threats and respond appropriately.

• Improve threat response: A trained workforce is better equipped to recognise suspicious activity and report it to the IT security department immediately. This enables a faster response to potential attacks and minimises potential damage by isolating threats early on.

• Strengthening compliance and data protection: Many industries, particularly healthcare and critical infrastructure, are subject to strict data protection regulations such as the GDPR. A strong human firewall supports compliance with these regulations by ensuring that employees understand the importance of protecting sensitive data and follow appropriate guidelines.

• Cultural change and strengthening security awareness: Regular training and communication promote a corporate culture in which cybersecurity is seen as a shared responsibility. This leads to increased security awareness at all levels of the organisation, from senior management to individual employees, and creates a proactive attitude towards threats.

• Cost savings through prevention: The costs that can result from a single successful cyberattack – from data recovery and business interruptions to reputational damage and legal consequences – often far exceed the investment in preventive training measures. An effective human firewall is therefore a cost-effective strategy for risk mitigation.

E. Avoid preventable incidents

Consider these situations:

Example 1: USB stick

One of your new interns copies an operational report onto a personal USB stick with the intention of improving their understanding of your company's customers. This report contains details about your company's customers, their contact details and a profile to better support your company in marketing your products to the right customers.

The intern takes the USB stick and puts it in the right pocket of his jacket. He then quickly makes his way to his train, which is full at 5 p.m. Without realising it, the unencrypted USB stick is hanging out of his pocket and can easily be stolen by a stranger. By the time the intern notices that his USB stick is missing, the thief is long gone and who knows what he will do with the sensitive data.

In contrast, a trained human firewall would have prevented this incident from happening in the first place. The intern would have been made aware of the risks of unencrypted data carriers through security training. He would have known that sensitive company data must never be copied to personal devices and that unencrypted USB sticks pose a significant security risk. Ideally, the company would have implemented guidelines for the use of removable media that are strictly monitored and enforced. If copying had still been necessary, the intern would have known that only storage media provided, encrypted and managed by the company may be used to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the data. Although the loss of the stick would still have been annoying, the data would have remained protected.

Example 2: Phishing at the service desk – vigilance against social engineering

An overworked service desk employee receives a call from someone claiming to be an employee who urgently needs a password. Under pressure and fatigue, the employee eventually gives out the password. The attacker uses this information to gain access to the company network and compromise data. This is a classic example of social engineering, which exploits human vulnerabilities.

In a company with a strong human firewall, the service desk employee would have been thoroughly trained in social engineering techniques. She would have recognised the signs of a phishing call, such as the unusual pressure, urgency and request for sensitive information that is not normally requested over the phone. Instead of giving in to the caller, she would have followed internal security protocols: She would have asked the caller to contact her via a verified channel (e.g. via an internal portal, after prior identity verification) or referred them to the appropriate department, which resets passwords using a secure procedure. Ideally, she would have reported the incident immediately to the IT security department to enable further measures to be taken and prevent any further attempts at attack. Her vigilance and compliance with security protocols would have successfully prevented unauthorised access.

Example 3: The suspicious email in the inbox

An employee in the purchasing department receives an email that appears to be from a known supplier. The email contains an attachment titled ‘New price list – urgent’. Since the employee is expecting such an email, they click on the attachment without further verification. Unnoticed, malware is installed on their computer, which spreads throughout the network and steals sensitive financial data. The seemingly harmless click has far-reaching consequences.

An employee who is part of an effective human firewall would recognise this email as a potential threat. Regular phishing training would enable them to identify suspicious characteristics: spelling mistakes, an unusual sender address (even if the display name is correct), an inappropriate subject line or a request for urgent action. Instead of opening the attachment, the employee would immediately delete the email or report it to the IT security department for review via internal channels. If in doubt, they would contact the sender via a known, secure communication channel (not by replying to the email in question) to verify the legitimacy of the request. This critical questioning and awareness of warning signs prevent the malware from being executed and protect the company network.

The above situations are preventable, but it requires the right steps to achieve security awareness within the workplace.

F. How Drivelock can help?

1. DriveLock's Security Awareness Training 

With DriveLock's Security Awareness, you and your employees will be able to access a range of topics such as:

• how to handle data,
• how to report unusual behaviour,
• the smart use of personal devices (BYOD),
• how to navigate business and personal use of Email, Internet and Social Media, 
• how to adhere to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and more. 

Your users are your last line of defence. Don't just train your employees, with DriveLock's holistic multi-layer-concept you can create a security awareness culture in your company. 

2. DriveLock's Application Control

DriveLock's Application Control prevents unknown applications to run on your system and runs application whitelisting with AI. 

3. DriveLock's Device Control

Add an extra layer of protection by managing the extent of data your employees can access with DriveLock's Device Control. Why?

Case study: Bupa's 2017 data breach leaked the personal details of more than 500 thousand of its customers. The culprit? A "rogue" employee. This employee was able to steal the names, date of birth and emails of the customers to be sold on the dark web. An ICO investigation concluded that Bupa did not have effective control over its CRM system and was, therefore, left vulnerable to be taken advantage of by employees.

4. Disk and file encryption

Disk and File Encryption provides your data with the security measure required so that in the case of stolen devices or unanticipated user action, the data becomes unintelligible to these unauthorised users. 

Interested in how DriveLock's Application and Device Control solutions can work for you?

By enforcing a human firewall, businesses can significantly reduce the risks associated with phishing, social engineering, and insider threats. Investing in continuous security awareness training, implementing strict access controls, and fostering a culture of vigilance are key steps to building a resilient human firewall. 

Remember, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility—every employee plays a crucial role in protecting sensitive data and maintaining a secure business environment. Don't wait for a security breach to take action. Strengthen your human firewall today and turn your employees into the strongest defense against cyber threats.

Try our free 30-day trial or contact our experts for more information, we will be happy to assist!