Providing IT security training cannot begin and end with your IT staff.
Cyber attacks are on the rise. The 2018 Cyber Security Breaches Survey found 19% of charities and 43% of businesses had reported cyber security attacks in the last 12 months. As technology advances, the risk of a cyber attack is increasing. If your staff don’t have IT security training, it is going to be easy for hackers to take advantage.
STARTING WITH YOUR STAFF
The usual cyber attacks aimed at businesses are viruses, phishing scams and ransomware.
Security is developing on a personal level. Businesses are beginning to realise the crucial role that all employees must take on in helping to toughen their cyber security .
Ensuring staff are educated in cyber safety, with the help of IT security training, will help improve security drastically.
While training is required across all departments, having tailored courses to each are important. Whether it’s in the customer service area, or the sales team, IT security training will vary along with the basics.
PHISHING FOR FAILURE
Any employee that spends their time on a computer will need a lesson in phishing scams. According to theVerizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 30% of phishing messages get opened by targeted users.
A phishing scam is where a hacker will send an email pretending to be someone in your company. This is usually the CEO or something unrelated to the business such as Google, to withdraw sensitive information out of the victim. The average cost of a phishing attack for midsize companies? It’s a whopping $1.6 million, which is £1.2 million in the UK.
92.4% of malware is delivered via email. Since phishing scams are most likely sent via email, it’s essential to upskill employees on how to spot these deceptive emails from fake email addresses, prevent them from clicking on suspicious content and ensure they understand the consequences if this occurs.
MOBILE FRIENDLY SECURITY
With flexible working and BYOD policies, the increase in employees using work mobiles outside of the work environment is likely. Mobile security is a crucial area to provide have training in, with the regularity of working from mobile devices and the introduction of GDPR.
Employees need awareness in the risks that come with using mobile devices in such a cyber orientated world.
Using social media at work and in personal lives is another aspect that can affect the state of cyber security. IT security training in this area could include sections on how to avoid sharing personal details publicly and how to prevent exploitation.
FOLLOW THE RULES
In some circumstances, you may break the law if you do not provide IT security training. Within the financial, government and healthcare sectors, there has always been a requirement to ensure their workforce has cyber security training.
Now, with the introduction of GDPR, it is compulsory for a much wider range of industries.
TRAINING TO TARGETS
Cyber crime damage costs will hit £4.35 trillion annually in 2021. The end result of training should focus on the bigger picture – creating a culture in your workplace that encourages IT security training in all departments, ensuring all employees can be trusted when encountering a cyber attack.
Companies may be reluctant to invest in cyber security infrastructure, however, it is important to recognise that most situations are caused by human error. You could prevent most attacks with a security training program is in place.
HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS.
The Government-endorsed Cyber Essentials certification will help your business to stand out from the crowd.
SupPortal UK can complete a cyber essentials audit for your business. This will highlight vulnerabilities, tighten up security and identify an improvement plan. Our managed services will monitor your system and devices around the clock so we can troubleshoot and patch issues before they become business critical.
With SupPortal UK, we take away the worry of cyber security. We will give you peace of mind that you are both compliant and covered. So you can concentrate on successfully driving your business forward.
View our cyber security services here, and request a no-obligations FREE cyber security health check via the form below.
