There have been many cases over the years where hacktivists, phishers, and cyber criminals attack companies. Companies are vulnerable to ransomware, hacking, malware, spam, and even social engineering. In response to this, government agencies have mandated cyber security awareness training for company employees. And with good reason, your employees are your first and best line of defense you can implement in your organization.
This article will give you a quick guide for cyber security awareness training that you can follow for your employees.
The Importance of Cyber Security Awareness Training
As mentioned, your employees are your first and best line of defense against cyber attacks. Because although you can equip your company with security software, your employees are actually the most common entry point for phishing attacks. However, according to the employee survey conducted by Wombat Security Technologies, more than 30% didn’t know what phishing or malware was. This is the reason why $3 billion (info from FBI June 14, 2016 public service announcement) is lost from scams, including the Business Email Compromise.
Your employees commit mistakes and are vulnerable to tactics used by cybercriminals. To avoid this from happening in your company, you need to provide your employees with cybersecurity training. This will allow them to learn how to monitor attacks and learn when faced with said attacks. It is a strategy that strengthens the most vulnerable links in the chain.
Topics to include in a cyber security awareness training
● The Different Types of Cybersecurity Threats
Introduce to employees the different cyber threats that they can look for and monitor. Usually, this includes phishing, spam, ransomware and malware, and social engineering.
Phishing. Provide examples of real phishing attacks so employees understand what it looks like, who it comes from, and what information it might ask for. This includes usernames, passwords, and personal or financial information that gives criminals access to company programs or steal money.
Spam. Begin by providing videos that will allow employees to identify spam contents hiding malicious software. Remember to include that spams may also be found in social media messages and even invitations. For instance, an invitation from LinkedIn may even be carrying a virus.
Ransomware and malware. Ransomware usually extorts money by displaying messages demanding a fee to be paid for the system to resume. At the same time, Malware is a virus or software that damages device functionality.
Social Engineering. A mandatory topic that educates trainees on how social engineers disguise themselves and tricks employees into handing company or personal information.
● Password Security
Passwords are the first line of protection that keeps information safe from hackers. Educate employees on how generic passwords are easily unraveled and to set stronger passwords consisting of letters, numbers, and symbols.
● Policies And Guidelines When Using Email, Internet And Social Media
Here, you can outline rules regarding the email and browsing habits of your employees - actions that can leave the company vulnerable to malicious software attacks that steal information and even money. Include here the types of links that should and should not be clicked on. For instance, links from suspicious and unknown people and organizations must be avoided and other possible situations.
● Regulatory And Legal Obligations Of Data Protection
Although your company has policies for data protection, your employees may not be aware of them or may not have understood it at all. Therefore, include a refresher course during the cyber security awareness training to keep them updated.
● How To Report Cyber Security Threats
A threat could occur from any device, platform, and in any department in your company. So, train all your employees in training and educate them on following the red flags and who to talk to when they notice suspicious cyber issues.
Your company could fall to a cybersecurity attack, and usually, it could have been avoided if an employee knew what to look for, what to avoid, and what to do. That’s why Cyber Security Companies like ITUNeed offer staff and employee cyber security awareness training to help companies be safe from cyber threats. Start planning the training today by visiting their website here: https://www.ituneed.com/security-awareness-training.