The man in the bright jacket
A man in a bright yellow jacket walks into an office. He carries a ladder and a clipboard. He says "I am here to check the cables."
Nobody asks his name. A worker holds the door for him. He walks to the server room.
No computer was hacked. What went wrong?
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Human error | A mistake made by a person by accident. | emailing the wrong person |
| Malicious employee | A worker who wants to cause harm on purpose. | an angry worker who deletes files |
| Disguised criminal | An outsider who pretends to be someone with a right to be there. | a fake engineer |
| Cyber hygiene | Everyday habits that keep you and your data safe. | locking your screen |
| Access control | Rules and tools that decide who may enter or use something. | a badge reader |
| Tailgating | Following a person through a secure door without your own pass. | going in right behind a worker |
| Shoulder surfing | Watching over someone's shoulder to see a password or screen. | seeing a PIN at a cash machine |
| Audit | A check of records to see who did what. | a list of who entered a room |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Quick check: who is the threat?
Have a go
Quick check: who is the threat?
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Four human threats
| Threat | Example | How to prevent or reduce it |
|---|---|---|
| Human error | Sending a private file to the wrong person | Staff training. Confirmation boxes ("Send to everyone?"). Check file properties for hidden details |
| Malicious employee | A worker copies client data before they leave | Take them out of the building. Suspend (switch off) their accounts at once |
| Disguised criminal | A fake engineer who walks into the server room | Go with all visitors. Check their identity |
| Poor cyber hygiene | A password on a sticky note, or the same password everywhere | Lock computers that nobody is using. Never write down passwords. Use a password manager to keep them safe |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Extra: Lock it before you leave
data-callouts.tip.label
On Windows press the Windows key and L. On a Mac press Control, Command and Q. It takes one second. A locked screen stops a person walking past from using your account.
Buildings can be weak too
A strong password does not help if a thief can walk in and carry away the server.
Access control decides who may go where. Good systems use badges or keypads. They also record who goes in and out, so an audit can find problems later.