Why Cybersecurity Awareness is Important
Cybersecurity awareness training enables employees to become familiar with common types of cyber threats, like phishing attacks and other social engineering techniques. This knowledge enables them to recognize and avoid these threats and proactively report any suspicious activity.
Cybersecurity awareness involves being mindful of cybersecurity in day-to-day situations such as browsing the web, checking email and interacting online. It is vital to your business as it mitigates monetary loss and reputational damage from cyberattacks.
Human error is a big factor in security breaches
Despite having state-of-the-art security solutions, hiring dedicated security personnel and training employees, human error continues to be a significant factor in data breaches. In fact, according to Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, more than 80% of breached records are attributed to the human element, including social engineering attacks and errors. Cybersecurity awareness training is a great way to mitigate the human element of risk, as it provides employees with the knowledge they need to protect their employer’s network and data from cyberattacks.
Staff that have received cybersecurity awareness training are more likely to identify and report suspicious activities, which will result in faster incident response and containment. This is also beneficial for a business, as it helps ensure managers can comply with established regulations following a breach, such as notifying customers of any data that has been compromised.
Cybersecurity awareness training is not only important for keeping your employees safe, but it can also help your organization build trust and confidence with its customers. Many customers today are expecting businesses to take security seriously, and they may decide to stop doing business with a company that does not demonstrate this commitment.
In addition, cyberattacks are often successful because of simple mistakes made by staff, such as clicking a malicious link or attachment in an email. These seemingly insignificant actions can result in the installation of malware, which could open up an organisation to attack and encrypt critical corporate, financial, customer and staff data for ransom. A single cybersecurity breach can cost a business millions, not to mention the impact on its reputation. A better approach is to invest in effective and engaging cybersecurity awareness training that can motivate and empower staff to avoid these mistakes. This will prevent them from causing the kind of disasters that can destroy a business. This is what makes cybersecurity awareness one of the most important things a business can do.
Human error is a big factor in data breaches
Cybercriminals are relentlessly searching for weaknesses in the defenses of businesses to gain access to sensitive information and wreak havoc. A successful attack can lead to financial losses, loss of consumer trust, and reputation damage for companies large and small. Fortunately, cybersecurity awareness training is one tool that can help to reduce the risk of data breaches and other cyber threats.
Whether they’re click-happy employees clicking on suspicious attachments in emails or ill-advised remote workers using public Wi-Fi to work, people often make bad decisions that can put security at risk. This can include accidentally bringing in a phishing threat, mishandling a password, or unknowingly downloading malware. As a result, the weakest link in any organization’s security posture is typically its employees. But cybersecurity awareness training can teach employees about how cybercriminals operate and how to avoid falling victim to their attacks.
Training can also teach employees how to report and respond to a cyberattack. This can help to limit the damage done to a system or an organization and mitigate financial loss or legal ramifications. For example, training can cover best practices such as backing up data on a regular basis, recognizing when a system is infected by malware and how to identify and respond to other cyberattacks, including ransomware.
Of course, the challenge is that cybercriminals are constantly coming up with new techniques and strategies to attack systems. This means that cybersecurity awareness training needs to be updated regularly to reflect the latest trends in cyberattacks and vulnerabilities. To be effective, training should also be tailored to different types of employees, including general workforce staff and technical teams. It should also incorporate real-world scenarios that can be used to identify and address the most common cybersecurity risks. And finally, it should provide employees with a strong sense of motivation to adopt good cybersecurity habits that can be applied at work and at home.