Forcepoint’s Sean Berg: Agencies Should Deploy Behavior-Centric Cyber Defenses

Sean Berg, executive vice president and general manager of global governments at Forcepoint, has said that the Cyberspace Solarium Commission should consider recommending the use of behavioral analysis in cybersecurity defense operations.

Berg wrote in a Fifth Domain piece published Wednesday that the deployment of behavior-centric technologies will help organizations preemptively manage cyber risks while providing insight into human interaction with data.

He noted that organizations should also consider “adding a layer of defense” based on behavior analytics, which involves integrating analytical data with contextual data such as communication and travel logs to establish a profile of an individual user.

According to Berg, behavioral analysis enables organizations to distinguish malicious attacks from minor human errors.

“Behavioral analysis takes cybersecurity far beyond the realm of traditional perimeter defenses,” he said. “By focusing security at the human level, organizations can proactively develop policies informed by behavioral trends, particularly among employees that may pose the highest risk.”

Berg also recommended the government to consult National Institute of Standards and Technology guides and continue research and development investments in cognitive sciences and human behavior analysis.