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Cyber-attacks continue to assail organizations of all kinds, with as many as 43% reporting more incidents than the year before. For many, one of the answers to the problem has been cybersecurity awareness programs. The traditional approach is a mandated one-off training session where employees read information and answer questions. But as damage from cyberattacks is expected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025—a 300 percent increase from 2015 levels—organizations realize that they must refine how they train their workforce to combat threats effectively.
So, how can organizations encourage learning about cybersecurity to keep their insights, data, intellectual property, and additional proprietary information safe and secure?
Introduce regular, individualized training
Training equips employees with the tools they need to be more thoughtful about cybersecurity. It boosts morale and leads to high-quality outcomes and quicker incident resolutions. However, employees’ existing workload can often act as an obstacle. If employees have a lot on their plate, engaging in security training can be a big ask. Nevertheless, training is vital to defending against phishing attacks, intrusions, and malicious threats, so managers must ensure adequate time to complete training. Security managers need to reinforce the value of training via multiple routes. If employees prefer books, on-demand training, or instructor-led courses, providing them with the vehicle that best suits their preferences is crucial.
Incorporate blended, continuous learning into daily work
It is essential to see cybersecurity training not just as a one-off quarterly session bolted to the employees’ real work. Instead, it should be incorporated into day-to-day activities so there is always a strong engagement with security priorities. This can be done simply by having clear, regularly communicated updates around threats and best practices. Engaging a dedicated cybersecurity team with visibility across the organization—and direct feedback into training—is the best way to ensure that the workforce is fully aware of its responsibilities.
Ensure training reflects past trends
The only way to successfully defend against threats is to be aware of all possible entry points and how they affect every aspect of your organization. By regularly making that information available, you can map previous trends to fine-tune your training. Creating updated contingency plans and protocols, conducting game-day scenarios, refreshing documentation and making it accessible will help minimize the impact of attacks when they inevitably occur. By sharing trends, strategies, and new developments as they happen, the workforce will have insight into how they’re being kept safe.
Leverage phishing simulations
Phishing simulations enable organizations to assess employees’ ability to recognize and respond to phishing attempts. By tailoring the simulations to imitate realistic scenarios like deceptive emails, fraudulent websites, or social engineering tactics, organizations can provide practical training experiences. By simulating real-world situations, employees develop a sharp eye for detecting potential phishing threats and are motivated to apply their knowledge effectively.
Ensure data security, privacy, and compliance
Organizations should establish a broad data privacy strategy, including high information governance standards that meet or exceed regulations. Creating such a culture of compliance around cybersecurity will not only avoid the risk of regulatory sanctions, costly reparations and incalculable reputational damage but also reap a competitive advantage in consumer trust. Data security is not simply an IT responsibility. In fact, among the most significant risks to privacy and information security are employee actions. Well-meaning but poorly trained employees can cause a breach by falling for a phishing scam, inadvertently downloading malware, or clicking on a malicious link. Therefore, training should encompass broad data privacy concepts, specific requirements, and cyber threats.
Adopt best practices for vendor management
Effective vendor management is essential in bolstering an organization’s overall cybersecurity stance. When establishing vendor partnerships, organizations must meticulously assess their cybersecurity protocols and readiness, particularly in data handling, protection, and vulnerability management. It is imperative to verify that vendors adhere to industry standards and regulations. To evaluate vendors’ cybersecurity practices, organizations should conduct comprehensive risk assessments and audits. Additionally, organizations must establish clear incident response procedures involving vendors, enabling a coordinated approach to addressing security incidents. Regular monitoring and performance evaluation of vendors’ security practices helps identify potential gaps that must be handled promptly.
These are just some ways to improve your cybersecurity landscape quickly. There are many others, most of which will be unique to your business and working practices. Remember, a solid cybersecurity culture thrives when employees are continuously educated and enabled. Getting them enthusiastic about their cyber safety will help them understand why they should be vigilant about their employers’ security. When staff know what to look for and clearly understand what their security teams do, they can better protect themselves and the organization’s data.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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