The biggest cybersecurity risk for your company isn’t hackers, malware, or email scams. It’s actually a lot closer than you think. Most security experts agree that it’s the users themselves — in other words, you and your staff — who pose the greatest risk to the security of data and IT systems. It’s important that on top of implementing cyber defense measures and solutions, you need to invest in regular cybersecurity awareness training for your employees.
What does security awareness training teach?
Many cybersecurity threats require a user to do something before they can wreak havoc. For example, phishing emails have to be opened and most types of malware need to be downloaded into the victim’s system. Even if you have state-of-the-art cybersecurity tools in place, it could take just one wrong click by you or an employee to compromise all of your data. This is why some consider humans to be the weakest link in cybersecurity.
The most obvious benefit of cybersecurity awareness training is a reduction in your company’s risk of suffering a data breach.
You can, however, transform your staff into your organization’s first line of defense against cyberthreats through security awareness training. Among the most vital subjects and skills taught in this training are:
- Information on the latest cyberthreats, how they work, and their effects
- How to identify and avoid common threats like phishing and malware
- Proper online hygiene, such as avoiding suspicious websites
- Appropriate ways to respond in the event of a cyberattack
- Using defensive tools like virtual private networks and email filters
What are the benefits of cybersecurity awareness training?
The most obvious benefit of cybersecurity awareness training is a reduction in your company’s risk of suffering a data breach. You can help teach your employees about how to properly handle company data. When you educate them in cybersecurity best practices, you are at least assured that they’d be less likely to commit mistakes that could endanger your organization.
But that’s not all. Training your staff can also help your company:
Establish a cybersecurity culture
Your employees understand that a successful cyberattack can lead to hours of downtime, plenty of wasted resources, and massive losses in revenue. At worst, it may even shut down the company and cost them their jobs. They should therefore be inclined to be proactive about protecting the company from cyberthreats, especially if they know what to do and common tactics that attackers use.
Augment the returns from your security tech investments
Many cybersecurity solutions today, such as anti-malware apps and firewalls, are automated and can function sufficiently on their own. But even so, many of your IT defenses can function at their best when supported by users with sufficient cybersecurity know-how.
Take email filters, for example. These are tools that employ artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect potentially malicious emails and prevent them from reaching users’ inboxes. To improve their accuracy, email filters “learn” what users consider legitimate emails and which ones are suspicious. This means that for them to work optimally, users must know the telltale signs of a dangerous email. Security awareness training helps build this skill.
Earn your customers’ trust
You wouldn’t want to provide your telephone number or credit card details to someone who doesn’t know how to protect them, would you? Security awareness training improves your company’s ability to protect customer information, which makes clients more likely to trust and do business with you. Furthermore, in the event that a client inquires about how your company protects their data, an employee trained in cybersecurity can confidently offer a satisfying answer.
Improve employee morale
Security awareness training enhances your employees’ skill set and makes them greater assets to your company. Knowing that they are active contributors to the organization’s security may make them happier about their job and more likely to do their part.
Training is very important, so it’s best handled by specialists with years of experience in the field, such as Fidelis . We offer comprehensive training services designed to augment your company’s defenses and patch any vulnerability that cybercriminals can exploit. Learn how else we can help your business overcome today’s IT challenges by downloading this free eBook now.
