NEW YORK (AP) – Are you a hack waiting to happen? Your boss wants to find out.
High-profile hacks have companies on the defense, trying to prevent becoming the next Sony Pictures or Anthem. And data shows phishing emails are more and more common as entry points for hackers – unwittingly clicking on a link in a scam email could unleash malware into a network or provide other access to cyberthieves.
So a growing number of companies, including Twitter Inc., are giving their workers’ a pop quiz, testing security savvy by sending spoof phishing emails to see who bites.
“New employees fall for it all the time,” said Josh Aberant, postmaster at Twitter, during a data privacy town hall meeting recently in New York City.
Falling for the fake scam offers a teachable moment that businesses hope will ensure employees won’t succumb to a real threat. It’s even a niche industry: companies like Wombat Security and PhishMe offer the service for a fee.