With cyber-attacks and breaches on the rise, there is a need for IT personnel to protect their firms from technological threats. To achieve that, companies need to ensure every individual within their premises is aware of the various cyber safety. And that’s calls for one thing: security awareness training.
What’s Security Awareness Training?
This is a strategy used by security and IT professionals to educate or train employees on different cyber security safety measures. It aims to prevent and mitigate technology user risk.
In other words, it’s a program designed to help various technology user understand their roles in combating information or data breaches. Simply put, it’s training to help instill proper cyber hygiene.
Security Awareness Training Topics?
An effective program should adequately cover various cyber threats that most organization faces or is likely to face. Amongst the topics could be:
- Safe internet habits- almost every employee has access to the internet. So teach individuals how to prevent attackers from penetrating the corporate network
- Email scams- cover various ways criminals can attack a firm through email- including the phishing attacks
- Malware and its standard delivery methods through which criminals use to steal sensitive data
- Password security- teach employees how to use suitable authentication systems with unique passwords
- Removable media- criminals can install threats or viruses into removable media like CDs and USBs to bypass corporate network and security systems. So, warn against using them.
- Environmental controls and physical security- cyber safety isn’t just about computers and software. So, let employees watch out for physical threats like someone watching as they type passwords.
Importance of Security Awareness Training
It Prevents Security Breaches and Threats
An employee gets to know various types of threats cyber-criminals use and how to curb them through training. And with the awareness, multiple individuals would be mindful of the best security practices to deploy to prevent attacks.
In other words, training instills knowledge and courage or confidence in individuals. It enables them to recognize threats, thus, take the best action to prevent them.
Ensures a More Robust Technological Defense
Technological defense such as firewalls, packet filtering, application-level gateway, circuit-level gateway, and software needs to be handled adequately.
For instance, a company must update its software, turn on its firewalls, and acknowledge various security warnings. And this is where cyber security training comes in handy. It helps identify and manage different organizations’ technological defense mechanisms to ensure they fulfill their potential.
Prevent or Lower Downtime
Some security breaches and threats can take time to reinstate or repair. The worst would be to wait for IT professionals. However, by training the employees, an organization would have some people to help take things back to normal.
Improves Customers’ Confidence
Customers are aware of cyber threats and attacks. However, they want to feel safe and protected. So, any organization that has taken security measures stands a chance of generating their customers’ trust and confidence. Customers see a firm that introduces security awareness training as more responsible.
Improve Employee Well-Being
No one wants their personal information to get into the wrong hands. So training trains employees about their company’s roles but also help them manage and make their accounts safe.
