Businesses can no longer rely on technology alone to mitigate the risks that come from cyber threats, especially while many workforces work remotely. Instead, they need to encourage their employees to work mindfully and responsibly on the front lines of cyber defence. The importance of implementing continuous security awareness training in order for employees to be more security conscious as part of their overall IT security strategy and protection.
Human Error
Employees are a vital part of any business’s security strategy – they are the soldiers on the front line in the battle against hackers. However, if they are not educated or trained in what to look out for when it comes to security, the human can also become the open gateway for cyber attacks to take place, playing upon user vulnerabilities. This is when cyber security training programs and tools that educate the user have never been more important, as employees need to be trained to be vigilant, cautious and suspicious.
These programs are designed to help users understand the role they play in helping to combat security breaches. Additionally, using phishing simulations, as part of the wider security strategy, will help to provide realistic situations that often occur, particularly via email, that employees must be aware of. Further, training allows businesses to assess the nature of the workforce regarding its security awareness posture, and provide employees with the information to understand the dangers of social engineering attacks and how to take appropriate actions to protect themselves and the organisation.
However, security awareness training should not be a one size fits all approach. Instead, training should be continuous and tailored to each user’s unique vulnerabilities, creating an optimised and effective cyber strategy. By highlighting any cyber weaknesses in the workforce, these can be targeted through educational resources to ensure that the human is aware of and knows how to detect such risks, and more importantly, how to reduce the likelihood of an attack. Regular training, in addition to complementary security tools, can provide a layered defence for organisations to reduce the threats that any business faces.
iTM covers all aspects of cybersecurity from Home cyber security managed solutions to automated, manage threat intelligence, forensic investigations, Cloud security best practice and cyber security training. Our objective is to support organisations and consumers at every step of their cyber maturity journey. Contact Us for more information