Seven Reasons to Prioritize Cybersecurity Training Today
A study by IBM reveals that 95% of cyber security breaches are due to human error. As such, if human error is eliminated, 9.5 out of 10 cyber breaches can be prevented. An employee who clicks on suspicious links or replies to phishing emails can put the entire business at risk. When an attacker compromises one device, for example, an employee tablet or laptop, they gain entrance into the entire network, getting a solid foothold to launch severe attacks. Security awareness training is undoubtedly the most cost-effective way to reduce the risk of breaches and incidents related to employee errors.
This blog focuses on the reason why you should implement comprehensive security awareness training today.
7 Reasons to Prioritize Cybersecurity Training
Mitigate the risks from the remote workforce
Experts reveal a strong link between remote working and the current increase in attack incidents targeting organizations. Over the past year, several companies have quickly transitioned from traditional in-person offices to a remote workforce due to COVID-19. It is estimated that in 2021, up to 55% of the workforce will be working from home at least three days per week. Unfortunately, many companies are still not prepared for this dramatic change, leaving hackers to exploit existing vulnerabilities in systems to carry out attacks. A recent report by CISA shows attackers are taking advantage of vulnerable services that remote workers use, such as unsecured virtual private networks (VPNs) and unpatched Windows Machines. The only way to mitigate these risks is to train your remote workforce on the best cybersecurity practices to protect their devices, systems, and your organization.
It is part of compliance requirements
GDPR, CCPA, NIST 800-53, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and cyber insurance companies all have compliance requirements that put a lot of focus on employee training. These organizations understand robust protection can only be achieved once every point of contact in an organization has been secured, not just the IT department and C-suite executives. In a nutshell, regulatory bodies and insurance companies emphasize the need to fully train your employees on crucial cybersecurity standards and the primary responsibilities they hold in protecting your IT environment.
Helps establish a strong cybersecurity culture
Protecting your IT environment goes beyond solid passwords and firewalls. Unfortunately, a considerable percentage of employees do not have enough knowledge regarding cybersecurity and data privacy. A comprehensive security awareness program helps establish a strong culture of cybersecurity by setting clear expectations for all employees. These programs train employees about safe online computing, social engineering risks, techniques to recognize attack vectors, and ways to enhance the confidentiality of sensitive business data.
Boost confidence of clients and shareholders
A single data breach can damage your reputation and dissolve any confidence your clients and shareholders had in your company. This ultimately motivates your clients to leave or take legal action against you. When you invest in innovative cybersecurity training to educate staff, your clients can find peace of mind knowing your entire workforce is well equipped to manage their data securely. Besides, when you have evidence of comprehensive training, investors gain better visibility of the value of cybersecurity controls that you have implemented in your organization, thus boosting their confidence in your capabilities.
Boost employee confidence and reduce anxiety
It’s well-documented that happy employees are productive people. With the rising incidences of cyberattacks, many employees feel stressed by the risks of data breaches at the workplace. Cybersecurity training ensures your employees are kept abreast with the latest threat and attack methods, thus helping reduce the anxiety resulting from cybersecurity uncertainty. Additionally, security training also helps eliminate risky behavior and instill cybersecurity best practices at the workplace. Comprehensive cybersecurity awareness also equips your employees with advanced tools and resources needed to protect the systems, thus boosting their confidence when undertaking various aspects of their work.
It is part of being a socially responsible business
Cyberattacks tend to spread at rapid speeds. As WannaCry and NotPetya attacks demonstrated, if one network is infected, multiple networks are put at risk, meaning one network’s weaknesses can substantially increase the overall threat to others. Security awareness training doesn’t only benefit your company alone; it benefits everyone you are partnering with, including suppliers, vendors, customers, and more. Notably, the absence of cybersecurity training in one organization can increase the vulnerability of other organizations.
Cybersecurity Awareness Training Best Practices
An effective employee awareness program is designed to complement the way people work and not hinder their ability to accomplish tasks. The goal of a training program should be to support employees in obtaining the skills and knowledge required to create a secure work environment. Some of the best practices of any cybersecurity training include:
- Benefit all employees: All employees should receive training regardless of their level within an organization. No one is immune to mistakes, and cybercriminals can target anyone from junior workers to senior managers.
- Regular training: Training should occur several times a year to ensure skills and knowledge is well embedded. A recent study reveals employees who don’t receive phishing awareness regularly are increasingly likely to be victims of scams.
- Customized training: The training modules and programs should be customized depending on how your employees work and the types of threats facing your organization.
- Complement staff awareness training: As part of training your staff on best cybersecurity practices, you should also look for ways to complement the knowledge imparted. You can use posters in the office or create email signatures with security tips. You can also use pocket guides, presentations, or learning nudges to bolster your employee’s cyber security knowledge.
How Mathe Helps With Cybersecurity Training
Mathe is a leading managed IT service providing organizations with stable and reliable cloud infrastructure, network services, cybersecurity solutions, and client services. At Mathe, we understand your employees are the first line of defense against cyber-attacks. Our team of highly experienced IT security professionals is committed to training your employees on the best tactics to detect, prevent, respond to and recover from an attack.
Some of the security awareness topics that we cover in your employee training include different types of cybersecurity threats and how to identify them, the importance of strong password security, and email, internet, and social media policies. If you need help to train your employees on the best cybersecurity practices, contact us today.
With over 35 years in the business of supporting and implementing technology for the SME market, and 6 years previously in Corporate IT and Voice. I have seen a great deal of change. The only common thread is I have always focused on the Business Wise application of Technology. We always try to look 5 years ahead of the current technology to make sure our clients are on the right track to meet current and future needs.
