Why Your Organization Needs Cybersecurity Awareness Training

Cybersecurity Awareness Training Is Vital To Preventing Data Breaches

Many data breaches are caused internally by employees. Cybersecurity awareness training is an essential part of protecting your network.

When it comes to cybersecurity, most companies are desperately trying to defend themselves from cyberattacks from hackers outside the organization. But paying attention to the threat from within is just as important. As the many prominent data breaches over the last decade have shown, just one incident can be devastating to a company and its customers, exposing the personal data of millions of people and costing the organization tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue, brand trust, fines, and settlements. Companies have responded by strengthening their security perimeter against external attacks, but often neglect to consider their internal security. The fact is that almost half of all information breaches originate with a businesses’ own employees, practically always inadvertently because of a lack of knowledge. A recent employee survey found that more than 77% of respondents said that they had never had security training of any type at their company. That’s why cybersecurity awareness training for all of an organization’s workers and partners is vitally important.

What Is Cybersecurity Awareness Training?

Firewalls against outside cybercriminals are an essential element of any company’s security perimeter, but the concept of a human firewall is rapidly gaining traction. Hackers know that the most vulnerable point of any data network is the people who have access to it. They will attempt to use the human weaknesses and failings that everyone has to gain entry into a system. The best defense against these types of attacks is to make employees and anyone else who has access to a network aware of what the most current and frequent attacks are, how to spot them, how to respond to them, and what to do when one is encountered. That requires comprehensive cybersecurity awareness training for all stakeholders in the organization. Some of the topics this training should encompass include, but are not limited to, the following.

• Phishing Attacks - This is one of the most common methods that hackers use to infiltrate a company. They will try to fool an employee into providing their passwords or other personal information. This is usually done by email, but sometimes over the phone. An email will ask the worker to sign in to a bogus account, or a caller might claim to be a contractor needing network access. Employees need to be able to identify these threats.
• Malicious Software - Malware, ransom attacks, and viruses are often introduced to a system by an employee inadvertently downloading them from an email. These attacks are easy to avoid if employees know what to look for.
• Password Security - Many employees use the same password at work as they use for their personal and social media accounts which can easily be compromised. Passwords are often made up of personal details that can be gained through a phishing expedition, and workers may leave their passwords posted in unsecured places that can be easily found or seen by a visitor.
• Mobile Device/Desktop Security - A large percentage of data breaches happen when a worker loses their laptop or another mobile device containing sensitive information and the device isn’t secured against unauthorized use. A desktop at work is also vulnerable to an outsider if it isn’t locked when not in use.
• Site Security - Although they may not be directly involved with it, employees should have a basic understanding of what types of physical security measures a company has in place. They should be aware of how access to hardware and server rooms and other sensitive locations is controlled, as well as how power supply, climate control, and fire suppression systems work.

Some of these points can be addressed by simply distributing a company-wide memo. Still, effective and comprehensive cybersecurity awareness training requires a dedicated professional team that can design and implement an employee training course customized for a company’s specific corporate and network structure and the needs of employees.

Cyber Security Awareness Training By On Time Tech

On Time Tech has extensive experience providing companies in San Francisco, CA with effective cybersecurity solutions. Contact us for a free consultation.