Still Mad at Target, Others? Before You Boycott, Consider the Human Factor of Data Security

Data breaches are scary. No one wants to deal with the ramifications of having their personal information in criminal hands. The recent string of high-profile retail breaches brings the issue home to everyday consumers. Who can you trust with your credit card and other data?

Some news stories have placed blame squarely on the retail stores. A few have made enterprise security teams look like the Keystone Kops, bumbling around and purposefully ignoring alerts. In most cases, nothing could be further from the truth. Security professionals want nothing more than to prevent a breach. Their jobs are at stake. The reality is breaches are inevitable because of the human factor that underlies today’s cyber security challenges.

First, cybercrimes are perpetrated by people who make it their job to profit from someone else’s loss. They are cunning, focused and persistent. An attacker only has to find one “open door” into a network. Security teams in charge of vast, complex networks have to find all their doors and then make sure they’re locked.