What Is Cyber Security Awareness Training?
Every business needs to take cyber security seriously. The threat of serious disruption and a data breach is very real. It is a constant threat that needs to be managed with the help of excellent cyber security protocols and the right level of awareness among every employee.
Companies such as Acclaim IT are constantly managing these threats for clients and providing the protection needed to stay as safe as possible. In addition to having the right levels of cyber security in place, there is also a strong need for the right level of awareness training.
Here are some pointers to what cyber security training is all about.
Understanding the nature of cyber security threats
One of the fundamental aspects of cyber security awareness training is making everyone aware of where the threats are coming from and how to identify a fraudulent attempt to obtain access or data.
Email is a common gateway for starting a cyber attack. It relies on human error to click on a link or give up security information that allows the attacker in.
It is estimated that almost 90% of all cyber attacks begin with an email. Training employees and making everyone aware of what to look for and how to deal with a rogue email will greatly reduce the prospect of a successful attack.
The aim of cyber security awareness training is to ensure that every employee becomes a guardian and defender rather than an unwitting accomplice to an attack.
Covering all the relevant topics
The nature of cyber attacks is very varied. There is a myriad of threats to contend with and training has to be comprehensive enough to cover all the relevant topics.
Some of the modules that will be covered in cyber security awareness training include education surrounding phishing, vishing, and ransomware attempts. There should also be coverage relating to using adequate passwords and cloud storage protocols.
Why training is so important
Cyber security awareness training will help ensure that all employees are acutely aware of how to identify threats and what action to take in response to any threat they encounter.
The ultimate goal of awareness training is to minimize the risk of human error allowing an attack to be successful. When you consider that such a huge proportion of successful attacks are a result of human error it is easy to see why this training is so critical.
Creating an effective training program
Cyber security awareness training programs can vary greatly in duration and frequency. You might decide to have a one-off session to bring everyone up to speed, followed by refresher courses as new threats emerge.
The intensity and frequency of the cyber security awareness training program will also depend on how educated employees currently are in this sphere.
There is absolutely no doubt that employees need to remain constantly engaged and vigilant when it comes to cyber security threats. Maintaining a level of training is one way of ensuring that the best security practices are used on a daily basis.
How good is the level of cyber security awareness in your organization?