How To Create a Comprehensive Cyber Security Training and Awareness Program for Your Company

Did you know that human error accounts for 95% of successful cyber-attacks? It can be easy to quickly blame employees for this alarming stat but falling for cyber-attacks is easier than you think. Cyber-attacks continue to evolve and mature, which makes it difficult  to spot a cyber threat, especially for the untrained eye. The key to protecting the company and all its employees from cyber threats is through education, awareness, and training.

Educating and equipping employees with the mindset and skill set to identify common cyberthreats used by hackers can significantly lessen the chances of a devastating cyber-attack on your organization. The consequences of cyber-attacks continues to grow, with digital incidents now costing businesses of all sizes $200,000 on average. With the detrimental costs of cyber-attacks continuing to increase, cybersecurity training and awareness programs are becoming essential for every organization, and not just a smart investment. Continue reading to learn how to create a robust awareness and training program that will help further protect your organization against malicious cyber threats.  

What You Should Include in Training

Cybersecurity training and awareness programs should empower your team to know how to properly spot and report cyber security threats. A robust cyber security training program does not just make your employees aware of these threats, but also teaches them how to effectively spot scams and what actions to take when spotted. Have a clearly defined process in place for reporting scams and ensure employees are fully educated on that process. Launch an interactive phishing simulation or leverage a platform to perform simulated phishing exercises on employees that will help them practice identifying cybersecurity threats.

The Importance of Consistent Training

Cybersecurity training and simulated phishing exercises should be conducted on a regular cadence and occur multiple times throughout the year. Cyber criminals are constantly coming up with new ways to trick people into falling for their scams, and to avoid becoming victim to a devastating cyber-attack, your employees need to be educated. Having a robust program in place will help establish a culture of accountability, trust and to emphasize the employee’s expectation in doing their part in keeping an organization safe from cyber threats.

Why You Need to Make Training Mandatory

Anyone who uses a computer at your company should be enrolled in a cyber security awareness and training program. The program should encompass executives, managerial positions, IT, part-time employees and even contractors. To make sure the training is effective and every employee is compliant, it is recommended that the training materials and exercises suit their intended audiences in terms of styles, formats, complexity, technical content, etc. Another best practice is to assign training on a regular cadence and offer a reasonable amount of time to complete the training so it does not disrupt business operations.

Improve Your Company’s Security Posture With Entara

While cyber security training is important to protect your business, it is not the only tool you need in your arsenal to keep your organization and systems safe. Entara offers complete, integrated IT and cyber security solutions personalized to your company’s needs. We cover a full range of security integrations and technology services to elevate our clients’ security stack and prevent devastating cyberattacks. Connect to learn more about how our team of experts can reduce your organization’s vulnerability to cyberthreats.

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