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The Human Factor in Cybersecurity

Even the best technology can't protect against human error. Real-world examples of phishing, pretexting and insider threats — and the awareness and controls that reduce human risk.

Triquetra TeamJuly 21, 2025
The Human Factor in Cybersecurity

Even the best technology can't fully protect against human error. Attackers know this — which is why the overwhelming majority of breaches begin with a person, not a piece of malware.

The shape of social engineering

Phishing emails, pretexting phone calls, look-alike domains and malicious attachments all exploit trust and urgency rather than software flaws. Insider threats — whether malicious or simply careless — add a dimension that firewalls can't see.

Reducing human risk takes three things working together: ongoing awareness so people recognise the lure, process so a moment's doubt has somewhere to go, and controls that limit the blast radius when someone does click.

Technology still matters — correlating identity signals, flagging anomalous behaviour and automating containment all shrink the window an attacker has. The strongest programmes treat people as the first line of defence, not the weakest link.

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