Cyber-crime is growing year on year in the UK. At the same time trade unions’ reliance on digital technology to operate effectively raises the stakes ever higher. If our computer networks are compromised by criminals, the results could be disastrous for our ability to operate, our finances, and the trust of our members.
Even with strong IT security systems, the weakest link is often in human mistakes made by staff and activists. People can be tricked into giving away access to systems and data. There is an ever-growing amount of scam email flowing into our unions at all levels, attempting to do that. This so-called “phishing” is the most common form of attack, but also the most common way for the most serious types of attacks to start out.
Phishing simulation is a technique that can help our users better spot the kind of attacks they might face – simulating real attacks to demonstrate the risk more clearly. It can be used to understand and measure where the union has vulnerabilities, and to strengthen our defences through training.
Some unions already employ the technique, but for many others it could be a quick win in the ongoing battle with hackers and scammers.
This new Digital Lab guide outlines some of the key concepts involved in phishing simulation. It outlines two case studies of approaches that might benefit smaller and larger unions. And it looks at choices and supplementary measures your union should consider.