Phishing is the No. 1 cyberattack risk that businesses face. 84% of businesses were victims of a successful phishing attack in 2021, which is a 15% increase over the same 12-month period in 2020. There are 7 factors that influence a company’s phishing risk:
Human Error—an estimated 90% of security breaches are due to human error.
Social Engineering Traps—97% of employees are unable to spot sophisticated phishing emails.
Carelessly Handling Attachments—48% of malicious email attachments are disguised as a routine file.
Irregular/Non-Existent Security Awareness Training—Over 50% of businesses fail to engage in regular security awareness training.
Lack of Caution When Clicking Links—1 in 3 employees are likely to click links in phishing emails.
Weak Security Culture—56% of small business owners are not very concerned about being the victim of a cyberattack.
Fear of Repercussions—40% of employees don’t report potential phishing for fear of getting in trouble and about 30% of employees fail to report cybersecurity mistakes out of fear.