Hacking is widespread, and cyber criminals deploy any viable method to breach your security. Their motives vary, but all represent a threat to your organisation.
Even if you already have sophisticated cyber security controls, you may feel you have done enough to protect your business. Sadly, there is one vulnerability that remains:
Your Employees.
It is well understood (by hackers and IT pros) that employees are the weakest security link. Humans are prone to error and manipulation, which is why hackers use numerous techniques to exploit this fact.
The good news, however, is that effective security awareness training will measurably improve your users’ susceptibility to social engineering and other commonly exploited vulnerabilities.
Cyber Security Awareness Training: What is it?
Security Awareness Training Is the Key to Stopping Many Cyber Attacks
Simply put, security awareness training involves taking known techniques used by hackers, explaining how they work to your employees, how to spot them, and procedures to follow should an employee suspect an attempt to breach security.
This extends to password policy, phishing emails, sending documents to the wrong recipient, losing a device, or sending files to the wrong recipients.
Testing Your Users’ Cyber Awareness
Couple this with ‘real-world’ tests, and you can benchmark and quantify your employees’ susceptibility, resulting in improvements (and reduced risk) after training.
Why Should You Prioritise Cyber Awareness Training?
As a business, there are many reasons to prioritise user awareness training within your organisation. Some of these should be obvious, but as we know, best practices are not always implemented by either users or businesses.
Weak Passwords
It is easy to crack passwords, whether from using lists of previously hacked passwords or testing common combinations, such as ‘Password123!’. So your staff must follow proper protocol when choosing a strong password.
Why is the most common password is still ‘Password’?!
Phishing Emails
Phishing emails are a component in over 90% of successful cyber attacks, whether through malware or fooling users into providing login details.
You should educate your staff on the difference between a phishing email and a spear phishing email. Highlight the consequences of giving a sensitive password to hackers and downloading files that could contain malware.
Simulated phishing emails are a great way to test and measure users’ susceptibility to attack.
Remote Working
Naturally, employee security measures should extend outside of the office, too. With more and more flexible working, robust policies in place for dealing with lost/stolen devices, managing passwords and adhering to important technical security controls are important.
Compliance
It is important that employees understand their roles and responsibilities in legal compliance and regulation. Like Health and Safety, the company has a duty of care to all its stakeholders, which extends to how employees use IT equipment.
What Should Cyber Awareness Training Cover?
To raise the security awareness among your employees, an outline programme should include:
Awareness of the Types of Cyber Attacks
- Make your staff aware of the different types of cyber attacks, including phishing, spear phishing, bogus phone calls, password attacks, malware attacks, adware tracking, spyware tracking, ransomware, and trojans.
- Be sure to include how they work, what they do, and what to do if your employee becomes suspicious of emails, websites, etc.
The Damage From Cyber Attacks
- Should a hacker crack your password, they can steal data, send spoof emails, or execute viruses. They can also sell this information on the Dark Web or publish the data for public scrutiny. If they steal sensitive data such as credit card numbers, the hacker can use this for personal gain. The potential damage is limitless.
Passwords
- Educate your teams on how to create strong (and unique) passwords they can remember and the importance of not giving out a password to anyone.
- Ensure your password policy and working practices eliminate the need for one employee to give their password to another.
Phishing and Spear Phishing
- Educate your staff not only on phishing but also on the level of sophistication deployed by hackers. Provide examples and the success rates of phishing in successful cyber attacks.
Working From Unsecured Remote Networks
- Highlight the dangers of working from unsecured networks.
- Public Wi-Fi, in hotels, airports, cafes, etc., can bypass your security controls, creating a hole in your defences.
Human Error
- Develop robust policies and practices to deal with human error scenarios, like sending documents to the wrong person or losing equipment. These should be easy for staff to follow and implement.
- Develop similar procedures for accidental file deletion. It is important that every staff member realises the dangers and their responsibilities, and that every stakeholder is responsible.
Developing a Security Awareness Training Programme
It is important that your policies are robust and that you have ongoing training. A training programme can start with simple guidance on password policy, but could also include simulated phishing attacks and marketing campaigns to raise awareness across your organisation.
One thing is certain: your employees will always remain an important security vulnerability, but with the right training, they can also be your first line of defence.
Related Articles:
- How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Remember
- Different types of malwareDifferent Types of Malware
- 8 Most Common Cyber Attacks Explained
- How Often Should You Audit Your Cyber Security & Who Should Do It?
- Pros and cons of outsourcing your cyber security: In-house or Managed SOC?