Cybersecurity Awareness Training - Why is It Important

As the amount of time we spend doing work online has increased, so has our dependence on cyber security. Our reliance on cyber security has grown due to increased internet use and mobile devices. Everything from commerce to communication to working has migrated online, which creates new opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit our vulnerabilities. A successful cyber attack on a business can collapse, causing irreplaceable damage.

In 2018, the average cost of cybercrime rose 12% to $13 million, as per Accenture's Annual Cost of Cybercrime Research. Thankfully, there are procedures a business can initiate to help mitigate the effects of cybercrime, beginning with the fundamental first step of raising cyber security awareness.

What is Cyber Security Awareness?

Even though human beings are still the weakest point in any company's digital security system, cyber security awareness is where the real work had accomplished. Individuals make mistakes, forget things, or fall for fraudulent practices.

This strategy includes employing cybersecurity specialists to educate workers about the risks and dangers of online crime. Employees should also learn how to prevent data breaches and keep networks secure. It would prevent them from losing their jobs, getting arrested, or wrecking the company.

Cyber security experts can shore up this potential vulnerability if employing cyber security specialists can make employees aware of the scope of the risks and what is at risk if security fails.

What is Security Awareness Training?

Everyone knows that any security system's first line of defence is a vigilant workforce. And to be as effective as possible, businesses have turned towards implementing security awareness training programs for their employees. These training programs teach employees about different kinds of threats and how to stop them from happening again in the future.

In today's digital age, cybercrime has reached unprecedented levels. It estimates that over $6 trillion was lost to cyberattacks in 2017 alone, making it the costliest year for hacking. With so much at stake, every business needs to adopt a more robust security strategy.

That's where specially designed security awareness training programs come into play. They help businesses enforce guidelines that protect their sensitive information and systems from potential threats. Here we will discuss the security awareness program and why it is a crucial part of your security strategy.

Why Do Businesses Need Security Awareness Training?

The training sessions will guarantee that organizations, staff, business partners and outside vendors comply with procedures that safeguard a company's computer network from a security breach.

What Are the Advantages of Cyber Security Awareness Training?

Cyber security skills offered by staff are less likely to endanger the digital network of an organization. Consequently, a company that invests in employee cyber security education should see a return on that investment.

If all employees train in cyber security exercises, there will be less chance of lapses in protection if someone leaves the company. Therefore, you will lower the chances that a security breach occurs due to a critical employee being away that day.

Consumers will have a lower opinion of a company with security-aware personnel since most people are unwilling to do business with an untrustworthy company. Nevertheless, of the actual impact of any particular security breach, a company that repeatedly attacks will lose customers due to bad publicity.

People must be aware of recommended practices to generate this higher level of security.

Why is Security Awareness Training Important?

The Organization must protect the system from cyber assaults to keep data breaches from occurring. In addition to preventing data loss, brand damage and financial loss, security awareness training are of utmost importance.

According to the latest data from the biggest firms, the cost of data loss was USD 4.2 million on average and USD 3.86 million in 2020. Human mistakes are the source of 95% of faulty incidents. Therefore, you must stress the importance of educating workers about the threats and risks to an organization's information security. A top priority should be ensuring that employees constantly educate about potential dangers and ways to prevent them.

What Are Security Awareness Best Practices?

You will likely encounter the term "best practices" in business-related articles sooner or later. What does it mean? It refers to established practices that produce desirable results. In other words, "best practices" is the phrase used to describe established procedures that produce desirable results.

Seven main areas make up much of cyber security:  

1. Data breaches
2. Secure passwords
3. Malware
4. Privacy
5. Safe computing
6. Mobile protection
7. Online scams

The security awareness guidelines that highlighted most frequently highlighted are as follows:

• Every person must know about the laws and rules in every city, state, and country. This point is crucial because an individual's ignorance of the law is not a suitable defence.
• It is a one-way street, requiring everyone to participate. Include everyone, even managers; failure to do so constitutes a vulnerability. It is all or nothing, so if all departments (e.g., human resources, legal, security) do not join in and assist in making the change, it would be for nought. It also assumes that all departments must buy into this strategy.
• Establishing the fundamentals, such as:

• Anti-phishing tactics - When employees receive emails from unknown sources, Organization must warn them about phishing scams. Phishing emails seek to gain entry to systems and wreak havoc. They should warn about suspicious links, attachments, and untrustworthy sources.
• Password Security - Using the word "password" as your password is inexcusable. They must be at least eight characters long, including upper and lower case letters, numbers, and at least one unique character. Please do not write your credential on a post-it note and attach it to your computer.
• Physical security - You should consider how your company's IT department can physically get to your employees' computers and mobile devices, as well as how to keep your company-issued technology devices locked and accessible at all times.
• Social engineering - It's critical to raise awareness of dangers, such as attempting to access a company's system or divulging confidential information.

• Keep your security awareness program uppermost in the minds of middle and upper management, and notify them of the program's current status and, in the event of non-compliance, of the responsible party.
• A company meeting or seminar is usually a dreary experience for everyone concerned. Rather than falling into the usual trap of attempting to keep people engaged, use a funny (yet current) video or share an unusual and unusual security-related story to keep people interested. Please don't overdo it.
• Cyber security manages as something other than a once-and-for-all thing; rather, it should be an ongoing process that includes periodic checks and tests. Reviews and repetition are practical tools for reinforcing important messages.
• Create a security philosophy that executes through every organizational level, down the whole chain of command to promote constant vigilance and learning. It's unnecessary to harp on cyber security with employees and end-users constantly, but it should be a very relevant, everyday topic.

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Cyber Hygiene and Why is It Crucial?

When you think of hygiene, you probably picture someone scrubbing their hands thoroughly before touching something or eating. But hygiene doesn't just apply to what we do alone. Hygiene is also important in our digital world.

Cyber hygiene is the practice of staying safe and secure online by avoiding risky behaviour such as: lying; cheating; stealing personal data; trespassing; and more. It involves protecting your information from hackers, phishers, and identity thieves who use that data to impersonate or access your accounts without permission.

Reducing risks and keeping yourself clean online can be difficult, but it can significantly impact how well you stay safe from cybercrimes and scams. Keeping yourself safe means not allowing anyone to get into your accounts or share information with others without your permission. It also means reducing your time on websites where you might be susceptible to cyber threats.

What Features Should a Good Security Awareness Training Contain?

Even the most vigilant Organization can fall flat when it comes to keeping up with threats. But there's hope yet! A strong security awareness training program can boost your Organization's needs and help you regain lost time. Security awareness training programs are an excellent way to start. They show your team how important it is to remain vigilant so that they don't spot any signs of a potential threat before it becomes a problem. If you're ready to get started, read on for some great insights about what a robust security awareness training program should include.

Educational Content

Cyber security training programs are customized to suit employees' vast diversity of technical expertise and knowledge of cyber security. The key to a successful programme is a well-structured course, weekly emails, regular mailings, and policy updates that are accessible to everybody.

Follow-up and Ongoing Messaging

A short refresher to help identify and tackle security threats against emerging concisely.

Testing

Follow best practices in cybersecurity by evaluating an enterprise's workforce through phishing, evaluation, and assessment simulations.

Measuring and Reporting Workers

Update the current programs to address workforce weaknesses and flaws.

How to Organize and Execute Out an Effective Awareness Training Program?

The strategy must align with the requirement of the CIO and team members in drafting the program. Executives at significant risk must also be involved in drafting the program. The Human Resource Department will train employees on how to build an organization's approach to executive awareness programs.

The corporate training material should provide examples of cyberattacks and solutions and an evaluation process to determine how much cyber security education the company has undergone. You should adjust the lessons to fit the level of security awareness that the company has.

How Often Should Security Awareness Training Occur?

The continuous or series of programs should accredit security awareness situations across all job roles at the Organization to maintain a constant securities awareness training programme. The frequency must be determined and handled across departments. New employees must undergo security awareness training at the start of their employment. It accomplishes this by ensuring that experts advocate these techniques and that employment procedures include issuing a certificate as part of the process.

The specific program will reveal to be effective after the process of assessing, evaluating, and testing finishes. Organizations can also employ learning management systems to structure training content, which must always be accessible.

Security Awareness Training Resources and Costs

The cost of the programme depends on the type and length of the programme. It is likely to vary depending on the Organization's level of risk exposure and employees' skill sets. An introductory programme may be created using the Organization's personnel and may cost a few thousand dollars. Because the approach would need to handle varying comprehension levels throughout the Organization, more prominent organizations would have to create custom programmes.

How Do I Begin a Cyber Security Awareness Training Program?

You can better understand today's cybersecurity industry by enrolling yourself and your workforce in the Introduction to Cyber Security Course for Cyber Security Beginners. This course must covers evaluating and managing security protocols in information processing systems with foundational understanding of the industry. Pick a course that will teach you about information security concepts and technologies, how to create and operate a secure infrastructure, security architecture, and how to reduce vulnerabilities and threats.

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