Chapter 2: The Human Side of Cybersecurity

It is important to understand the human side of cybersecurity. Too often, people get caught up in the technology related to cybersecurity and lose sight of an important fact – all attacks involve people attacking people. Both attackers and defenders use technology to do their work, but the underpinnings of most successful attacks seek to exploit a human before they exploit a system.

In this chapter, we will cover social engineering techniques, types of malicious software that are used to compromise an environment, and the types of insider threats an organization will face. While tactics and technologies change for both attackers and defenders, the motivations of human beings are more predictable. Understanding the people behind the breaches creates a more solid information security foundation as opposed to chasing the latest technology.

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to identify social engineering attacks, types...