The best measure to prevent similar attacks without overly restricting the use of personal devices is to conduct regular cybersecurity awareness training, focusing on phishing attacks. Cybersecurity awareness training is a process of educating and empowering employees on the best practices and behaviors to protect themselves and the organization from cyber threats, such as phishing, malware, ransomware, or data breaches. Cybersecurity awareness training can help the organization mitigate the risk of phishing incidents by providing the following benefits12:
It can increase the knowledge and skills of employees on how to identify and avoid phishing emails, messages, or links, such as by checking the sender, the subject, the content, the attachments, and the URL of the message, and by verifying the legitimacy and authenticity of the message before responding or clicking.
It can enhance the attitude and culture of employees on the importance and responsibility of cybersecurity, such as by encouraging them to report any suspicious or malicious activity, to follow the security policies and guidelines, and to seek help or guidance when in doubt or trouble.
It can reduce the human error and negligence that are often the main causes of phishing incidents, such as by reminding employees to update their devices and applications, to use strong and unique passwords, to enable multi-factor authentication, and to backup their data regularly.
The other options are not as optimal as option D for the following reasons:
A. Provide employees with corporate-owned devices for work-related tasks: This option is not feasible because it contradicts the BYOD policy, which allows employees to use their personal devices for work-related tasks. Providing employees with corporate-owned devices would require the organization to incur additional costs and resources, such as purchasing, maintaining, and securing the devices, as well as training and supporting the employees on how to use them. Moreover, providing employees with corporate-owned devices would not necessarily prevent phishing incidents, as the devices could still be compromised by phishing emails, messages, or links, unless the organization implements strict security controls and policies on the devices, which may limit the user autonomy and productivity3.
B. Implement a mobile device management solution that restricts the installation of non-approved applications: This option is not desirable because it violates the user autonomy and privacy under the BYOD policy, which allows employees to use their personal devices for both personal and professional purposes. Implementing a mobile device management solution that restricts the installation of non-approved applications would require the organization to monitor and control the devices of the employees, which may raise legal and ethical issues, such as data ownership, consent, and compliance. Furthermore, implementing a mobile device management solution that restricts the installation of non-approved applications would not completely prevent phishing incidents, as the employees could still receive phishing emails, messages, or links through the approved applications, unless the organization implements strict security controls and policies on the applications, which may affect the user experience and functionality4.
C. Require all employee devices to use a company-provided VPN for internet access: This option is not sufficient because it does not address the root cause of phishing incidents, which is the human factor. Requiring all employee devices to use a company-provided VPN for internet access would provide the organization with some benefits, such as encrypting the network traffic, hiding the IP address, and bypassing geo-restrictions. However, requiring all employee devices to use a company-provided VPN for internet access would not prevent phishing incidents, as the employees could still fall victim to phishing emails, messages, or links that lure them to malicious websites or applications, unless the organization implements strict security controls and policies on the VPN, which may affect the network performance and reliability.
[References:, 1: What is Cybersecurity Awareness Training? | Definition, Benefits & Best Practices | Kaspersky, 2: How to Prevent Phishing Attacks with Security Awareness Training | Infosec, 3: BYOD vs. Corporate-Owned Devices: Pros and Cons | Bitglass, 4: Mobile Device Management (MDM) | OWASP Foundation, : What is a VPN and why do you need one? Everything you need to know | ZDNet, , , ]
