By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
BeFirsTrankBeFirsTrank
  • Home
  • Car Reviews
  • Auto Shows
  • Bike Reviews
  • Future
  • New Car
  • Used Car
  • Contact Us !
Reading: The Human Problem at the Heart of Snapchat’s Employee Data Breach
Share
Aa
Aa
BeFirsTrankBeFirsTrank
  • Home
  • Car Reviews
  • Auto Shows
  • Bike Reviews
  • Future
  • New Car
  • Used Car
  • Contact Us !
Search
  • Home
  • Car Reviews
  • Auto Shows
  • Bike Reviews
  • Future
  • New Car
  • Used Car
  • Contact Us !
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2023 BeFirsTrank News Network
News

The Human Problem at the Heart of Snapchat’s Employee Data Breach

srijita
Last updated: 2016/03/02 at 3:47 PM
By srijita 4 Min Read
Share
SHARE
The Human Problem at the Heart of Snapchat's Employee Data Breach

Snapchat says it’s “just impossibly sorry” for a recent data breach that exposed payroll information of some current and former employees on Friday.

The Snapchat data wasn’t stolen by a coding mastermind who penetrated the company’s servers using some unknown flaw. Instead, it was stolen by an attacker who exploited a much simpler, more human vulnerability: trust. The attacker pretended to be Snapchat chief executive Evan Spiegel and tricked an employee into emailing over the information, according to a blog post the company posted Sunday about the incident.

Roughly 700 current or former employees had information including their names, Social Security numbers and wage data compromised in the attack, according to the Los Angeles Times. Snapchat declined to confirm those details to The Washington Post or to comment further beyond the blog post.

The incident highlights one of the biggest challenges for companies struggling to protect sensitive information: Even if your technical security is up to snuff, your people may let you down.

It’s no secret that people make bad security choices. Just look at the laughably bad passwords like “123456” and “password” that keep showing up in breached data troves. But companies are, of course, made up of people people who can make the same type of mistakes in the workplace that they make in their personal digital lives.

In fact, the “human element” was the root cause of more than half of security breaches according to a 2015 report from tech trade association CompTIA. Yet that same report, which was based on surveys of hundreds of US business executives and technology professionals, suggests that companies may not be doing enough to prepare their workers for a world where a new scam might be in their inbox everyday.

Despite the scope of the problem, only 30 percent of companies rated the “human element” as a serious concern and just 54 percent offered some sort of cyber-security training, most often as part of new employee orientation or an annual refresher course, according to the report.

The Snapchat case is a good reason why it’s important for companies to think about their people as a key part of keeping their data safe. Just ask the social network, which is now working with the FBI to investigate the employee data breach and providing two years of identity theft protection to those affected.

“When something like this happens, all you can do is own up to your mistake, take care of the people affected, and learn from what went wrong,” the company said in the blog post. “To make good on that last point, we will redouble our already rigorous training programs around privacy and security in the coming weeks.”

Snapchat had security woes in the past. A few years ago, a bug left the usernames and phone numbers of users exposed and one group exploited it to release information about 4.6 million accounts, apparently in an effort to highlight the company’s lax security practices. But the latest breach only affected current and former employees, according to the blog post.

[“source-gadgets.ndtv”]

You Might Also Like

How Google’s AI can help transform health professions education

Certified AC Technicians in Ocala: Your Local Cooling Experts

Beyond the Map: What Modern Vehicle Tracking Can Do for Your Business

What Should My Video Game Room Have?

From Traditional Payments to Innovative Solutions: How Car Insurance Is Adapting to Modern Needs

TAGGED: at, Breach, Data, Employee, Heart, Human, of, Problem, Snapchat's, The
srijita March 2, 2016
Share
Previous Article Hound Virtual Assistant Launched for Android, iOS; Rivals Siri, Google Now, Cortana
Next Article Google Revamps Play Store Guidelines Portal; Addresses Ad-Blockers

Calendar

September 2025
MTWTFSS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930 
« Aug    

Latest Trending News

  • How Google’s AI can help transform health professions education September 3, 2025
  • Your Ebike Battery is Draining Too Quickly? Six Reasons August 29, 2025
  • Test of Turbo Petrol-Powered Automobiles: Actual City and Highway Fuel August 26, 2025
  • Buying a Used VW Car in Albuquerque? Here’s What to Know August 21, 2025
  • What to Do If the Trunk of Your Nissan Won’t Open August 20, 2025
  • Fatherhood, marriage, and Longevity in the August 14, 2025
  • Style, Luxury, and Innovation in a New Car Coming in 2024 August 13, 2025

© 2023 Befirstrank News Network. All Rights Reserved.

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?