Security Awareness Training – Why Is It Essential In 2022?

When organisations work with sensitive data, they are trusted and should take care of their users. That is because this information can be highly appealing to hackers who want to ruin your business or get money out of a successful attack.

The number of attacks is growing every day, and the number of protective measures as well. Companies are still being hacked even when using the latest security technologies and regularly checking their security posture. And in most cases, it happens due to their weak spots – employees and their devices. Modern cybercriminals know that people tend to click links and open files they get on their email or phone, making it easy for hackers to steal sensitive data from an organisation.

If you want to significantly lower the risk of being hacked, the best way is employee awareness. Let’s explore what it means and why it is essential in 2022.

What Is Security Awareness Training?

Cyber security awareness is currently the best way to protect the business from unwanted access. Awareness training is a technique provided by companies and cybersecurity professionals to teach the best practices of user behaviour to the employees of organisations. This training helps employees understand the most common threats, boost their knowledge about types of attacks and change mistakes to lessen the vulnerabilities of user risk.

The 2015 Intel Security Quiz showed that 97% of employees could not identify phishing attacks. This happens due to a lack of cybersecurity awareness. And this can be detrimental to organisations left vulnerable to data breaches since successful attacks will cost them thousands or even millions. Security awareness training offers all resources and knowledge employees need to protect their devices, themselves, business and their customers.

What Are the Threats Training Prepares Employees For?

As a business owner, you might be familiar with how cybersecurity works and how to protect your company, but do you know what kind of cyber attacks can occur due to user error on the employee end? 

In addition, these attacks take up to 60% of the total attack volume. Below we will show the most common forms of attack that cybercriminals use that your employees can combat:

Phishing

It is currently the most popular form of attack modern hackers use. That is because it is incredibly successful for hackers in most cases. This type of attack is used to trick victims, forcing them to reveal sensitive data. The data hackers ask for can vary depending on the goal and method, but most commonly, they need credentials, information about customers and company information. Since the methods and ways hackers perform this attack improve, it’s getting harder to identify phishing. Penetration testing services UK is an excellent way to check how your company is protected from these attacks.

Removable Media

Removable media refer to physical storage tools such as USB drives or CDs. Even though most modern businesses use the cloud, removable media isn’t fully extinct and still remains a danger to companies. It is vital to note that your cyber security network can’t always protect itself from removable media, so training your staff must also be focused on how to handle removable media practices.

Poor Passwords

The traditional way for hackers to steal data is just by identifying the passwords. Most people prefer using the same passwords somehow associated with their life, and this information can be found online or via social media. Therefore, when your employees use poor passwords and you don’t have any policies regarding this point, you can face a successful attack very soon.

Keeping Physical Resources Safe

While cybersecurity services typically focus on digital attacks, physical attacks can also pose a high risk to your business. Therefore, when providing cybersecurity awareness training, make sure staff knows that they need to avoid keeping passwords written down and kept at their desk.

Mobile Device Hacking

Since we live in the era of global digitalisation where people use their phones for basically everything, they can also access business servers and software via phone for higher convenience. However, mobile devices are highly susceptible to attacks, meaning both personal and organisation devices should be protected.

Remote Work Environments

The number of companies that work remotely is growing every day, making it easier for cybercriminals to access data. Most services and work tasks can be done from the home, cafe, through mobile phone and on the go. This means devices are not as protected as if they are in an office environment. Luckily, high-quality security awareness training teaches employees how to make their home working space just as safe.

Public Networks

Due to remote work, most employees also prefer to work from cafes and restaurants where they use public Wi-Fi networks that are susceptible to attack. That is why they need to know how hackers can steal their data through public networks and closely monitor their behaviour to avoid issues related to this type of attack.

Cloud Storage

Cloud services are growing popular within businesses, so they are likely to become an appealing threat to hackers. That is where awareness training is used to ensure the cloud service is safe both from the provider’s end and your company employees.

Improper Social Media Use

Since most of us share our lives on social media, hackers get easy access to all the needed data. Even without realising it, your employees can share sensitive information that can be used against their company. Social media use is also a part of any quality awareness training education. Since they work in a team and can put the organisation in danger, the cyber security team teaches employees how to protect their personal accounts to ensure company safety further.

Final Thoughts

Since the number of successful cyber attacks is growing, companies should take all measures to protect users and the data they store. That is why training your employees is one of the best ways to add another security layer.