How cybersecurity and human factors go hand in hand to stop AI-based cybercrime
In this episode, Monika Kullberg, a psychologist turned cybersecurity leader at Sandvik, shares her journey into the world of digital defence. She emphasizes the critical role of human factors in cybersecurity, noting that while technology is essential, people are often both the biggest vulnerability and the best defense. Not least given the latest development where cyber criminals use sophisticated AI methods to lure new victims.
Since 2004, 1 Oct has marked the start of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a global effort encouraging the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness of cybersecurity. Monika Kullberg is a key player in driving the Sandvik parts of this initiative. She highlights the importance of collaborative efforts and training to combat threats like phishing and AI-driven attacks, stressing the need to build a strong security culture.
“The way people work and the culture in the workplace really matters. In a culture where people openly talk about risks, security will get stronger and part of that is that employees need to feel that they can safely report threats. The collaboration part within cybersecurity is almost like a neighborhood where everyone watches out for each other so that when everyone does their part, the whole community stay safer”, says Monika Kullberg.
The development of cybercrime moves at an astonishing pace. Monika Kullberg mentions several real-world examples, such as the WannaCry ransomware and phishing scams targeting major companies where human actions, like for example errors or quick thinking, significantly impacted security outcomes. Cybercrime is becoming increasingly sophisticated, especially with the rise of deepfake and generative AI-based scams where there is a bigger need than ever for user-friendly security measures, ongoing training, and robust technological defences to stay ahead of cybercriminals.
“All of this is happening already. It creates social engineering on steroids. We will see a lot of social engineering attacks against people that are of a much higher quality than ever seen before. As companies, we need to have firm process in place for key tasks and we need to train people on cyber threats. And not least, we need to talk much more with each other to get these risks on the table,” says Monika Kullberg.
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- Article: Cybersecurity Month: Why being aware matters
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In each episode of the podcast Meet Sandvik you will meet different persons that give their perspective on Sandvik. Sometimes it´s an employee telling his or her story. Sometimes you will meet experts discussing how a hot topic can affect Sandvik.