Employees are the biggest cybersecurity risk, but an automation platform can alleviate the threat, says Richard Higginbotham, Product Manager at Netcall
According to the recently released Global Risks Report 2023 from The World Economic Forum (WEF), widespread cybercrime and cybersecurity threats rank among the top 10 threats to the private and public sectors over the next two years.
The report also suggests that cybercrime could result in an annual loss of $10.5 trillion for the global economy by 2025. In England and Wales, cyber-related fraud incidents accounted for 61% of all fraud cases last year.
An automation platform equipped with low-code, robotic process automation and machine learning can meet financial, customer experience and reputational demands
In today’s evolving landscape, organisations must find more successful measures to address these threats.
However, the impacts on sales and customer experience must also be considered when making these adjustments.
An automation platform equipped with low-code, robotic process automation and machine learning can meet financial, customer experience and reputational demands throughout the process while improving cyber safety.
Acknowledging your vulnerabilities
Although employees are the driving force of organisations, they can also be the weakest link regarding fraud prevention and cybersecurity.
In today’s fast-paced world, people are susceptible to reading quickly and thinking slowly, especially with the overwhelming number of messages they receive daily via texts, emails, and social media. This information overload can cause individuals to operate on autopilot, leading to a lack of critical thinking and making them vulnerable to fraudsters’ frauds.
Even if you believe you would never fall victim to a fraudulent attempt, this mindset can exacerbate the issue. People often believe that such incidents will never happen to them, making it even more challenging to detect suspicious activity.
Imagine your accounts team gets hacked and, after scanning through their previously sent emails, the hackers know how to word an email to convince you it is really them. Or you receive an email from a familiar address, but only the third to last letter has been changed.
Are you sure you will notice these nuances when you are completely unsuspecting, and your guard is down? There is a reason phishing is one of the most common types, and most successful, of cyberattacks.
Adopting low code to secure internal and external communications
To address this issue, organisations can shift away from relying solely on emails for digital communication, as it’s not email itself that’s critical but the means of communication.
This can be achieved by developing a low-code application.
The drag-and-drop ease of low code means your organisation can easily develop an application for messaging and sharing files. Such an application removes the opportunity for a cybercriminal to target your employees.
Of course, emails will still be needed in some capacity since messages from people outside the organisation will not be able to go through an application.
These emails are accompanied by inherent security risks, for example, the possibility of phishing links.
However, an employee should be taught to expect relevant links from co-workers to be sent via the low-code application. For emails, complementary training should make them cautious with such messages and any attachments or links they may include.
Any measures taken should be supported by educational training that teaches employees about best practices and what to look out for in case of fraud.
For example, internal policies that require employees to only disclose personal or financial information through a company portal, which can be created using a low-code platform, reduce the chances that they will share this information over email.
A portal not only protects organisations and their employees, but it also protects those they service.
For instance, if a patient wants to enter health data for their doctor or check their test results from the hospital, they can do so via a patient portal without concern over the security of their information.
Removing the hurdles to better security
By implementing low-code platforms, organisations can lessen the number of barriers to implementing an effective cybersecurity system.
Non-coding developers can quickly create secure applications in-house, providing a cost-effective solution that benefits cybersecurity teams with limited budgets typically allocated to other departments.
Any low-code solution should include control and governance features that enable the central IT team to maintain oversight – since in-house low-code developers may not have the knowledge to ensure security measures are upheld.
With the right solution, IT workers can maintain governance by overseeing application development and controlling access.
Low code also facilitates iterative development, meaning that organisations can adapt their applications to accommodate changing circumstances or security needs.
Maintaining protection with RPA and ML
Combining low code with robotic process automation (RPA) and machine learning (ML) can strengthen organisations’ cybersecurity networks.
RPA assists in detecting exact character matches and aligning information with pre-determined criteria, providing employees with flagged emails that require a more cautious review.
Additionally, this helps to overcome the lack of critical thinking involved when quickly skimming through emails, thereby fortifying the cybersecurity network.
Machine learning is especially helpful when high volumes of information are involved, such as with healthcare organisations, local councils, or corporations. It can use that vast data to identify patterns and provide predictions on security trends.
With RPA and ML offered in tandem with low code through a single, easily integrated platform, organisations can more seamlessly develop a secure infrastructure as these advanced technologies work together to optimise security.
An automation platform allows you to achieve security without compromise
Enhancing security is frequently a balancing act between budgets and customer experience. When an organisation prioritises security, it may lead to slower processes and reduced productivity, negatively affecting the customer experience.
But what if organisations did not have to make the sacrifice across these pillars of citizen experience, security, and squeezed budgets?
Through leveraging an automation platform, authentication measures can be automated. Moreover, RPA can cross-check information at high speeds, ensuring swift security that facilitates customer satisfaction and supports high volumes of transactions and interactions.
Cybersecurity is a must-have for all organisations, so it is essential to find ways to manage risks without compromising the safety and security of citizens and employees.
By providing your organisation with an efficient automation platform with well-defined security policies and procedures, and comprehensive training, leaders can feel confident that human error – their most significant security risk – has been largely minimised.
This piece was written and provided by Richard Higginbotham, Product Manager at Netcall.
