The Importance of Employee Training for Cyber Security 

August 7, 2019 7:44 am

Who is responsible for overseeing the data in your company? Most likely, if you don’t have a dedicated IT department, it is the most tech savvy person at your office, right? Wrong! Every employee should share in the labor of maintaining the cyber security of your company. Therefore, employee training is critical to the security of your data. 

“Virtual Crime” is growing by leaps and bounds every day. It is hard not to become desensitized to the constant hackings and malicious activity online. That is one of the top reasons why training employees to recognize the signs of malicious content in emails is important. 

Humans are the Weak Link 

When it comes to cyber security, humans truly are the weakest link. Many employees falsely believe that, since the company has an IT department or IT specialist, they are off the hook for keeping an eye out for red flags that may indicate a breach. In fact, most breaches are initially discovered by employees with a keen eye. Training can help make all of your employees aware of signs to look for in emails, across the network, and while accessing files. 

 

Remote Workers 

With more than half of businesses allowing flexible hours, remote working, or telecommuting, it is becoming more and more important for employees to be trained to be aware of red flags that could indicate a problem. Remote workers need to know what kinds of emails to avoid, attachments that should not be opened, and how to spot a data breach since they are not in the same building as an IT specialist. Working from home is great until an issue arises and there is no IT specialist to confer with. 

Training Tips 

Any proper cyber defense training should cover elements such as:

  • Current threats
  • Attack red flags
  • Defensive procedures
  • Threat reaction plans

The more your employees know, the more they’re able to identify and avoid the following cybersecurity storms including phishing scams, malware email attacks, fileless attacks, and employees errors. 

During training, it is important to speak the language of the trainees. This means skip the IT jargon that will not only confuse your employees but will make them less apt to listen and absorb the information. In addition, we suggest having the training include scenarios that will help them identify the questionable content rather than just talking at your employees. Show them what to look for and explain what is and isn’t considered malicious. This training can not be a one-time activity but rather a regular or ongoing part of your office activities. This is especially true since hackers are getting more sophisticated by the day. Do you have a training program for your employees? If not, call M&H Consulting at 1-866-964-8324 or visit our website

Categorised in: , , , , ,