Why hackers are targeting agency help desks and key employees to bypass cyber defenses

Government agencies have spent billions building digital fortresses. A new generation of threat actors, however, is circumventing those investments by exploiting the most persistent vulnerability: agency employees.

According to a new report from Scoop News Group and Proofpoint, attackers are bypassing agencies’ technical defenses by targeting employees directly through sophisticated social engineering. What’s causing growing concern: Agency help desks have emerged as a “high-value target.”

The report, “Hacking Humans: How to Defend Against Your Biggest Cyber Risk,” argues that traditional security measures are increasingly ineffective against attackers who use deception and impersonation to penetrate agency IT systems. That’s prompting agency officials to adopt a “human-centric” defense strategy, acknowledging that people are now the primary battleground for protecting sensitive government data and services.

Read more at StateScoop