It's a startling fact: the JACADIS security consulting team has penetrated the networks of government, medical, private, and public sector organizations in a matter of minutes. Thankfully, we’re the good guys; our clients want us to show them how they can be “hacked.” Our approach is simple and emulates the same tactics used by sophisticated data thieves and cyber criminals: target "Layer 8" -- the employee. Our success rate? 100% We've tricked managers, executives, supervisors, directors, secretaries, and professors into giving us access, usually with a simple click, and sometimes with no interaction at all. The weakness? People.
Technology is not a substitute for good computer skills and common sense. We believe people have an unrealized role to play in the protection of personal information, financial data, and corporate secrets. Technology will fail and people, the last line of defense, must must stand in the gap. As this concept is accepted, the Layer 8 Effect will begin:
- a decrease in accidental disclosures due to carelessness
- employees that genuinely understand the need for restrictions versus scoffing at them
- focused, task oriented workers that are not as overwhelmed by their in-box and vulnerable to Phishing attacks
- an increase in users reporting suspicious activity
- more users, both corporate and home, that use the Internet with greater skill and awareness, not easily duped or carelessly clicking on whatever comes their way
Will the Layer 8 Effect solve the rampant problem with Identity Theft and hacker attacks? No. It will curb, however, the number of breaches that happen because of carelessness with social networking (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.), poor email habits, and a lackadaisical attitude regarding confidential information in general.
Why should you care? Your identity may be used to commit a crime, fund criminal activity, or support terrorism. Your personal computer or company laptop could be used to attack businesses, governments or nation states. No one is immune.
We hope you're ready to do your part. This initiative needs you, your family, and your company to participate. Follow us here and on Twitter. If you're a business professional, join our LinkedIn group to help remove yourself and your organization from the ranks of the easily fooled, to one that stands in the gap at Layer 8.
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