The Importance of "Human Firewalls"

In computer networking and cybersecurity, a firewall is a security system that typically establishes a barrier between a trusted network and an untrusted network, such as the Internet, thereby preventing unwanted malicious traffic. It allows or blocks traffic based on a defined set of security rules, and it is usually the first line of defence.

In today’s cyberspace characterised by advancements in Artificial Intelligence and increasing cyber threats, humans have become an important component in the security equation and not just the technologies — the firewalls!

The concept of a "Human Firewall"

Human firewalls simply refer to individuals or employees of an organization who have relevant knowledge and consciousness regarding cyber safety and are consistently building the culture of cybersecurity in both work and personal digital life. These are people within an organisation who follow cyber security best practices and report any data breaches or suspicious online activity that may bypass your standard security systems, thereby helping to keep the organisation and its assets secure.

Why Human Firewalls?

No matter how sophisticated the security implementations and technologies are, the weak link has always been traced to be the end users of technology. End user computing devices which get compromised through spear phishing attacks is frequently cited as the initial step of advanced persistent threats, often leading to data breaches.

With recent statistics indicating that 95% of cybersecurity breaches are attributed to human error, it has become pertinent that organizations and individuals ensure that necessary awareness and controls are put in place — the human firewalls with adequate awareness and training of cybersecurity risks and how to stay ahead of the bad actors.