Cybersecurity has long been focused on keeping the bad guys out. Organizations just like yours spend the majority of their security budgets on building (hopefully) impermeable rings that protect employees, clients, infrastructure, data, and other resources from an ever worsening threat landscape.

But what if we’re getting it wrong? What if the real threat is coming from the inside?

The recent leak of classified Pentagon briefing documents – and the subsequent arrest of a National Guard airman suspected of stealing them – should be a reminder to us all that insider threats are every bit as worrisome as anything on the outside. 

Identity theft has reached epidemic proportions, with millions of stolen credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and bank account data for sale on the dark web and millions more traded on secret hacking sites. Cybercriminals use a multitude of tactics to obtain this ill-gotten booty, from backdoors planted inside compromised computers to keyloggers embedded deep within the operating systems powering popular mobile devices.

As users grow wise to these cyber threats, the bad guys are adapting their tactics, adjusting the way they do business in an attempt to trick people into giving up information they otherwise would not have. One of the slyest and most dangerous forms of cybercrime takes advantage of human psychology, making it particularly challenging to combat.

This insidious form of cybercrime is known as social engineering. It has been successful with everyone from ordinary home users to the executives at Fortune 500 companies. If you want to protect yourself, your devices and your data, understanding how the cybercriminals operate and how they trick their victims is a smart place to start. Here are some of the most popular tricks and how to fight back in an increasingly treacherous digital landscape.

Business intelligence uses a variety of software tools to analyze large amounts of data that help you make well-informed decisions for your company. You can easily monitor sales, evaluate customer behaviour, analyze logistics, and find ways to improve employee productivity through the use of business intelligence software. An in-house IT department or a managed IT service provider can help you set up a business intelligence system that best matches the needs of your company.

Interested in learning more? Here are the top five benefits of using business intelligence software.

If you use Google, chances are the technology giant is collecting personal data from you. However, many people don't realize that Google is far more than just a search engine. For example, Google offers digital services (like email) and technology products (like tablets and smartphones) that all collect data from users. In short, depending on how many Google products you use, the company could be collecting several types of personal data from you.