The Best Defense Against Cybersecurity Attacks Is The Right People

“At the end of the day, humans are our best line of defense.”

Our EVP of Federal Services, Don Styer, spoke with Nextgov/FCW about new Proofpoint research showing China-linked hackers impersonating former U.S. officials and an AI company employee to target AI policy experts at think tanks, universities, and law firms.

The tactic wasn’t sophisticated malware. It was trust. The attackers sent invitations to advise on AI policy and export controls, waited for a reply, then followed up with a fake login page built to steal Microsoft credentials.

As Don explains, adversaries prize the information they can’t find in public sources, and they’re patient enough to assemble a bigger picture from details that seem harmless on their own. Technology matters, but so does a workforce that knows to pause and verify before clicking, even when the request comes from a familiar name.

Read the full article from David DiMolfetta at Nextgov/FCW here. 

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