What if, while protecting your users from malware lurking behind a malicious link, you could at that same moment train the user to avoid that specific threat actor tactic? That would be a powerful one-two punch to bolster both your human and technological defenses. A new partnership between BlackBerry and KnowBe4 makes this possible.
Integration Stops Attacks While Increasing Security Awareness
The recently announced partnership between BlackBerry and security awareness company KnowBe4, unlocks new value for mutual customers. It integrates CylancePROTECT® — an AI-based endpoint protection platform (EPP) by BlackBerry that blocks up to 99% of attacks — with KnowBe4’s SecurityCoach, a real-time security coaching product that utilizes human detection and response (HDR) technology to help strengthen security culture.
When users make security errors, this integration delivers real-time notice and explanation to them to help drive security awareness. This is instant feedback instead of the typical “once a year” security awareness training sessions. And the lessons come with context on exactly what they did wrong, and how they can do better. Best of all, CylancePROTECT provides a safety net that prevents human errors from turning into security incidents, so users can learn safely without putting your environment at risk.
SecurityCoach utilizes the CylancePROTECT application programming interfaces (APIs) to integrate quickly and easily.
Most Cyberattacks Start with Phishing
This partnership is especially valuable because according to BlackBerry researchers, the vast majority of cyberattacks involve some aspect of phishing. These malicious emails often “play on the familiar,” or use social engineering to create a sense of urgency. As examples, KnowBe4 says attackers frequently use the following subject lines in phishing emails, based on what it spotted in the wild during the second quarter of 2022:
- IT: Software Update
- HR: Your performance evaluation is due
- Google: You were mentioned in a document: “Strategic Plan Draft”
- Mail Notification: You have 5 Encrypted Messages
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn Customer Service Survey
- Amazon: Amazon – delayed shipping
- Microsoft: Update your security settings
- Action required: Your payment was declined
- Your fax is pending for preview
- Zoom: [[manager_name]] has sent you a message via Zoom Message Portal
What happens if your users take the bait? Based on the rules in your existing security software stack, SecurityCoach allows you to configure a real-time coaching campaign and send tips at the moment risky behavior is detected.
And if malware is ever introduced into your environment via phishing or other means — CylancePROTECT uses seventh-generation AI (artificial intelligence) to block that threat within milliseconds and is more than 99% effective, even against zero-day exploits.
The new BlackBerry and KnowBe4 partnership augments your existing security awareness training, and combines it with AI-powered endpoint protection, to reduce cyber risk by simultaneously improving both your human and technology defenses.
BlackBerry will continue to unlock value and greater security for its customers through partnerships like this one.
