Security Awareness Training – Empower Your Employees to Help Protect Your Business
Security Awareness Training cannot be overlooked as one of the more critical aspects of your business network security plan. Even with robust cybersecurity defenses, cybercriminals can easily bypass all that when an employee unknowingly lets them in.
Security awareness training is more than simply telling employees to be careful with their email.
You see it in movies all the time where a criminal dresses up as a janitor or a doctor, and the person at the front desk lets them right into the building with no questions asked. That happens in real life too! In the cybercrime world, this is called “social engineering.”
Remember the famous Target data breach? Criminals posed as HVAC contractors to breach the company servers, and employees unknowingly let them in.
Incidents like this show how good and smart people can be tricked if they lack awareness. Watch Catch Me If You Can or Ocean’s Eleven for examples of how people can infiltrate your business and steal from you.
Email scams are another significant threat. Strategies like phishing, spear phishing, whaling, smishing, vishing, CEO fraud, and many more are used by hackers to trick your employees and gain access. Search the internet for “real-life examples of phishing attacks,” and you’ll see more examples than you can imagine of businesses falling victim to cybercrime through email scams.
To protect your business, training your employees to recognize and identify threats is critical. When properly trained, employees become suspicious and cautious, which will dramatically improve your business’s security.
This article will cover the best practices for training you and your employees on security awareness.
The Power of Security Awareness Training
Security Awareness Training educates and empowers your employees to recognize potential cyber threats and adopt best practices for safe online behavior. You create a human firewall that complements your technical defenses by arming your workforce with the knowledge and skills to identify and respond to cyber risks.
Key Components of an Effective Security Awareness Training Program
1. Cultivate a Security Culture:
Developing a security-focused culture is vital for an effective awareness training program. Encourage employees to take ownership in safeguarding data and spotting risks. Top management should clearly communicate the significance of cybersecurity, fostering an environment where open discussions on security concerns are welcome. By ingraining security values into daily practices, employees will proactively defend themselves and the business against cyber threats. Top management should also embrace the constant and good-natured razzing from employees they’ll receive every time cybersecurity is brought up. This will make it more fun for everyone (speaking from experience).
2. Simplicity in Comprehensive Training:
Simplicity is key when training all employees. New hires receive thorough onboarding regarding security policies and best practices. Regular, ongoing training ensures updated knowledge and vigilance. This approach prevents complacency and empowers employees to make informed decisions protecting personal and company data.
3. Unannounced Testing and Simulation:
Regular unannounced testing is essential. Simulating real-world scenarios, like phishing exercises, helps evaluate employees’ responses to potential security incidents. Identifying weaknesses allows targeted training to bridge gaps. Empowering employees with hands-on experience fosters vigilance and strengthens the organization’s defense against cyber threats.
How To Implement Security Awareness Training in Your Business
Any business with staff with the knowledge, expertise, and time to implement a do-it-yourself training program certainly can do that. Honestly, though, that is rather difficult, time-consuming, and isn’t the typical way to get it done.
The best way to implement a security awareness training program is through your IT partner. Your IT partner will likely have an established relationship with a 3rd party vendor with very affordable training programs already set up. Alternatively, suppose you don’t have an established relationship with an IT partner that can provide this solution for you. In that case, you might be able to purchase security awareness training programs directly from a training vendor (most of these vendors will only work directly with an IT partner). These 3rd party vendors have gone through all the hard work of developing a very effective program and can sell it to you.
Get Started With Security Awareness Training
No matter where you are in your cybersecurity defense implementation journey, do not overlook the significance of security awareness training. The human element remains the linchpin in any cybersecurity plan, and investing in educating and empowering your employees is essential for maintaining a strong defense.
The easiest way to get started is to contact AZCOMP Technologies or your IT support provider. When you contact us, let us know you’re interested in getting started with security awareness training for your employees, and we’ll take it from there.
Lastly, don’t forget to review the remainder of our free infographic – 15 Ways to Protect Your Business from Cyber Attack. These 15 ways are the foundation of building an effective and layered cybersecurity plan for your business.
Do you need to talk to a cybersecurity expert to go over the unique details of your business? Contact us for a free cybersecurity consultation and evaluation.
About AZCOMP Technologies:
AZCOMP Technologies of Mesa, AZ, is a leading provider of Managed IT services and technology solutions for businesses. AZCOMP’s mission is to help enterprises to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase cybersecurity through innovative tech solutions.
AZCOMP Technologies has provided business technology solutions and cybersecurity services since 2000. AZCOMP offers these services in Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Apache Junction, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Gold Canyon, and more. Request your IT consultation today!
