Would you let one of your employees operate a company truck without a valid license? I would assume the answer is no. It would be dangerous to allow someone to drive a truck without the proper knowhow and experience. The responsibility of operating a company truck is not much different than the responsibility of operating a company email account. In either situation you are putting your organization at risk. Nowadays, employee email accounts are full of hazards that could lead to a cybersecurity incident. That is why it is critical that employees are trained to protect data and spot threats.
One of the best ways to ensure that your employees are capable of protecting your organization is with ongoing cybersecurity awareness training. This approach to security education helps your business create a cybersecurity culture and develop employee accountability. Security awareness training will give your staff the tools to navigate the digital world, recognize threats, and respond to them properly.
With that in mind, let’s look at how this style of employee education works and why your organization needs ongoing cybersecurity awareness training.
Why Your Business Needs Awareness Training:
Every business is a target, no matter the size. Phishing emails alone cost businesses 12 billion dollars a year. Bad actors do not discriminate and are targeting small businesses now, more than ever before.
Threats are constantly evolving. The foundations of cybersecurity awareness do not change much from year to year. However, new attack styles are discovered every day. Informing your staff of these new threats is vital to stay ahead of the curve.
Every employee has a responsibility to protect business data. Employee error is the number one cause of data breaches, and cybercriminals are taking advantage of this every day. Arming your employees with the knowledge to spot an attack and respond properly will significantly lessen your risk of a successful attack.
How Awareness Training Works:
Phase 1: Your entire staff will be enrolled into a custom training campaign that best suits your environment and industry. This initial training will serve as a foundation for best cybersecurity practices, identifying cyberthreats, and proper response if faced with an attack.
Phase 2: Your staff will receive customized simulated phishing emails to test their awareness of phishing and other social engineering attacks. These initial emails will serve as a benchmark of your current risk level and cybersecurity posture. This data can then be used to identify risk prone users and determine a plan for remediation.
Phase 3: Those employees who are “phished” during the simulations can be automatically directed to additional training material to reinforce email best practices. This additional education will cover the importance of cybersecurity, tips to avoid real phishing attempts, and impart accountability to protect company data.
Phase 4: These simulations and trainings will continue throughout the year on a customized schedule to fit your organization’s needs.
Ongoing awareness testing and training can ensure that your employees are constantly learning and staying motivated to protect your business’ data and reputation. If you would like to learn more about implementing a cybersecurity awareness plan, please reach out to us today.