The Postal Service™ is reminding employees and contractors that they are the first line of defense against cyberthreats caused by human error.
Human error occurs when users make mistakes such as leaving their workstation unlocked, clicking a phishing email link, or mishandling sensitive information. Although these mistakes may seem harmless, they may result in leaked sensitive data, stolen credentials, and exposed personally identifiable information.
According to Verizon‘s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report blog (see keepnetlabs.com/blog/2025-verizon-data-breach-investigations-report), human error accounted for 60 percent of breaches last year.
CyberSafe at USPS® recommends the following tips to stop human error:
n Watch your workstation — Lock your computer when it’s not in use by clicking the windows key + L or CTRL + ALT + Delete.
n Don’t respond to suspicious phone calls, text messages, or emails — Hover over links to verify the sender and destination before clicking.
n Label external emails correctly — Add #sensitive# to the subject line of any email being sent outside the postal network containing sensitive (see blue.usps.gov/cyber/sensitive-overview.htm) or sensitive-enhanced information (see blue.usps.gov/cyber/sensitive-overview.htm).
n Don’t plug in unapproved USB devices — Use only USPS-approved USB devices (news.usps.com/2025/05/13/unapproved-usb-devices-will-be-blocked-starting-june-1/) found in the eBuy+ catalog at blue.usps.gov/supplymanagement/eBuyPlus_homepage.htm.
For more information about human error, go to the Monthly Campaign page on Blue at blue.usps.gov/cyber/comms-2022-archive.htm#accordion1s1.
— Corporate Information Security Office,
Chief Information Officer, 2-19-26
