How QWERX Removes the User From the Security Chain To Minimize Risk

The user is often the weakest link in the security chain. Unfortunately, cybercriminals make use of this by relying on the vulnerable human element in their malicious schemes to steal credentials, sensitive information and identities.

Common Cyber Attacks Targeted at Human Behavior

Phishing is a type of social engineering where an attacker sends a fraudulent message designed to trick a person into revealing sensitive information to the attacker or to deploy malicious software on the victim's infrastructure like ransomware. Phishing attacks rely on human ignorance to be successful and will target the most vulnerable users. There are methods of phishing including HTTPS phishing, SMS text phishing (smishing) and good ol’ fashioned voice phishing (vishing). 

In their 2020 Mobile Threat Landscape Report, Wandera says that a new phishing site launches every 20 seconds. That means every minute, three new phishing sites designed to target users pop up on the internet. This is one of those phishing statistics you hope is wrong, but you know, deep down, that it’s not.

Another type of attack is ransomware, a type of malware from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim’s personal data or block access to it unless a ransom is paid. Colleges and universities are particularly challenged as repercussions of ransomware hit them harder and longer than other organizations. Declining enrollment and large investments in technology hampered Lincoln College’s finances early in the pandemic, and then a ransomware attack rendered its systems for admissions, recruitment and retention nonoperational and the school closed in May. 

Why Are Users Losers When It Comes to Cybersecurity?

There are a number of reasons users fall victim to cyberattacks:

  • Emotional tactics: these play with our emotions when it comes to the big things in life like careers or family. An attacker may center their attack around these things to trigger an emotional response from users.
  • Make fast decisions: attackers will anticipate autopilot mode for certain actions, routine clicks part of your day, to make their move when the user will be clicking without thinking.
  • Lack of security awareness: The young, elderly, or inexperienced may lack security awareness and attackers will look for users like these who will quickly fall prey to threats.

Many organizations use defensive strategies that focus on changing human behavior and educating them on the red flags of cyberattacks. That is why QWERX has created a radically different solution.

Remove the Human Element From the Equation

Users pose many cyber risks, which is why QWERX has removed them altogether. QWERX offers a proactive solution in this sense, whereas other companies use reactive defensive techniques. QWERX assumes that human behavior can never be relied on to be 100% effective against attacks. Furthermore, the vulnerable human target will inevitably take the step that the attacker desires and try to open the link. QWERX automatically prevents a protected network from opening the link to the unauthorized attacker, regardless of what credential or other information the attacker tries to use to gain access. 

QWERX eliminates the vulnerable human target by making it impossible for the person to open the link to the attacker by mistake or intentionally. QWERX replaces the SSL/TLS connection or handshake with the QWERX handshake that no unauthorized device can make. There is no certificate that the attacker can present that will open the connection. The attack is stopped cold before a connection can be established. If the attacker cannot possibly make the connection, there is no need for early detection of the attacker because there is no early presence of the attacker to detect.

Save Money and Hassle With QWERX

Peace of mind is priceless when cybercrime costs a fortune (in stolen funds, data, loss of reputation and operational repairs). QWERX offers a radical solution with a model that scales quickly, easily and with limited incremental costs. And think of the amount of time and employee hours that can be saved by eliminating phishing education and communications internally at organizations! One less thing to worry about when there is so much more to business. Spend your time on what really matters, and contact us today to explore our cybersecurity technology.

Amanda Costello is a freelance journalist in Omaha, Nebraska. She has been published in AudioFile Magazine, The Omaha World Herald and CNN. You can view more of her work here.

 

Sources

Wandera - Understanding The Key Trends in Mobile Enterprise Security in 2020

Cybersecurity Dive - Ransomware Attacks Surge in Education Sector

CNN - A 17-Year-Old Boy Died by Suicide Hours After Being Scammed. The FBI Says It’s Part of a Troubling Increase in ‘Sextortion’ Cases

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