Think your firewalls are rock-solid? Fraudsters know the cheapest exploit is a helpful employee (82 % of breaches still involve the human element[ref]).
Here's how untrained employees make life easier for fraudsters:
π§ Phishing clicks, data leaks, and "sure, I'll approve that" moments happen when staff don't spot red flags.
π Sticky-note passwords and reuse habits undo even the strongest tech controls.
π’ Fresh hires (and temp staff) lack context, so social engineers love them.
π Controls get overridden "just to help the customer" because no one explained the why.
π§Ύ Fake invoices, mule accounts, or forged IDs sail through if staff can't spot common scam patterns.
ποΈ Blind to insider danger β colleagues' risky behavior goes unreported.
π If nobody is trained to ask "does this feel off?", fraud hides in plain sight.
π¨ One-size-fits-all training fails.
- Frontline staff - spot fake documents and suspicious requests.
- IT - hunt for breach indicators and privilege misuse.
- Finance - drill payment-fraud red flags.
- Everyone - practice social-engineering defense. Different roles = different risks = different impact.
π‘ Build muscle memory with real cases from your own past incidents, role-based sims during onboarding, and short refreshers every quarter. When was your last drill?