Cyber Security Training for Employees
Table of Contents
You physically protect your employees and business with appropriate measures like doors, guards, and alarm systems. But how do you safeguard your assets from invisible dangers like online security threats?
Cybercrimes can compromise your business data and safety, with cyber-attacks becoming increasingly common via email, download, or internet search. A robust cyber security training program is essential for your business — it helps you shield your digital assets from malicious actors. When you provide personalized, engaging, and regular security awareness training for employees, you equip them with the tools and knowledge to recognize and prevent cybercrimes.
What Is Cyber Security Awareness Training?
Cyber security awareness training is a proactive way to teach your team to recognize potential attacks and information breaches. In today's environment, all employees should follow safe and responsible procedures for using company software and hardware, reducing human error and preventing security risks.
When to Train Employees on Cyber Security
You should regularly train employees on cyber security. Frequent educational courses help you improve and promote cyber security best practices. You must refresh existing employees on company policies, standard operating procedures, and new security procedures. You should also train new employees soon after their start date.
Importance of Cyber Security Employee Training
Cyber security equips employees with the tools and resources needed to safely use and access company data and equipment, empowering them to make knowledgeable decisions throughout the workday. Cyber security training can help employees prevent security breaches and loss of company data and revenue. Below are some benefits of employee cyber security training.
Prevent Cybercrimes
Did you know there were 5.5 billion malware attacks in 2023? This increase in cybercrime is the most significant of the past five years. Additionally, analysts project world cybercrimes will cost $5.7 trillion by 2028. The frequency and severity of cybercrimes are increasing rapidly, and hackers get more savvy and innovative daily.
Training employees in cyber security and reinforcing policies is more vital than ever. Providing staff with regular cyber security training courses can prevent your company from becoming a statistic.
Reduce Human Error
Employees are most vulnerable to cyberattacks, causing over 80% of data breaches. Human error, curiosity, and forgetfulness happen daily in workspaces, and staff are only one click away from becoming phishing victims. Ongoing education is critical to reinforce safe cyber security practices and minimize human error.
Secure Procedures in Remote Settings
With more companies adopting work-from-home and hybrid policies, online security can sometimes become an afterthought. Company hardware and software outside your offices compromise data and security. Anyone in a remote facility might access your employee computers.
Without office governance, staff might forget policies like locking their computers when unattended. Implementing frequent security training is vital for protecting your data from afar and reaffirming the significance of cyber security.
Comply With Industry Requirements
By law, industries like government departments must comply with the latest security training regulations. If your sector follows government regulations, you can face penalties for non-compliance. Government-adjacent industries must also follow proper procedures for addressing the threat of cyberattacks, making training essential.
Prevent Revenue Loss
Hackers who steal your data can hold it for ransom, impacting your company's revenue and reputation. In 2023, 72% of businesses fell victim to ransomware attacks globally. Businesses of any size can be victims of cyberattacks. Prioritizing cyber security is one way to prevent you from becoming a victim.
Stay Ahead of Hackers
As technology advances, so does cybercrime. Cyberattackers continue to innovate and find new ways to steal valuable information. Therefore, business leaders must stay one step ahead and prepare for what comes next. Upskilling employees can give your company an advantage over cyber criminals.
What Cyber Security Training Do Your Employees Need?
Security awareness employee training provides staff with skills, knowledge, behaviors, and policies for enforcing cyber security. It can also help them identify and mitigate cyberattacks. Employers can provide cyber security awareness training for their team members in numerous formats.
Custom training: Tailoring staff training to their language, job role, and needs makes teaching inclusive, relevant, and understandable.
Digestible content: Offer small chunks of information for more convenient and enjoyable learning.
Continual courses: Present recurring training to strengthen employee knowledge of safe practices and policies.
Tasks with feedback: Test employee comprehension and awareness with real-life scenarios and questions to give them a practical idea of what a cyber breach can look like.
What Should Cyber Security Training Include?
Security training for employees can include cyber security awareness training programs and courses on data protection, security breach incident reporting, creating secure passwords and responsible internet usage, and safeguarding company resources.
Data Protection
Emphasize the importance of data security and employee roles in protecting company information and assets. This course can highlight employees' legal obligations, contractual agreements to protect data, and software and hardware policies.
Incident Reporting
Provide employees with appropriate steps and procedures for identifying and reporting breach attempts. All team members must understand the line of reporting and who to contact in case of security threats.
Creating Strong Passwords
Train employees on how to secure company data and equipment with unguessable passwords, including how to generate and store passwords.
Installing Software
Educate your team members on the importance of installing safe and company-approved software and enforce policies on installing unauthorized software. Employees should know the difference between licensed and unauthorized software and how to identify malware.
Receiving and Sending Emails
Teach employees to identify email scams and provide protocols for handling them. Provide guidelines or a checklist for staff to follow if they suspect a fraudulent email.
Common Cybercrimes
All your staff members should know how to identify and report cybercrimes like phishing and social engineering.
Internet Usage
Train every department on safe internet usage, like what links to avoid clicking and how to identify secure and unsafe websites.
Safeguarding Company Resources
Emphasize the need to protect company resources and teach staff how to do this appropriately. Highlight guidelines like locking unattended computers and backing up files to avoid losing valuable data.
How to Train Employees on Cyber Security
You can use cyber security training courses that reinforce guidelines, best practices, and company policies. Here are some tips for training employees on cyber security.
Install the appropriate software and tools on employee computers to reinforce security protocols and help them follow proper procedures. This software must update automatically to ensure staff have up-to-date security and devices.
Document formal policies about protecting sensitive data and organize meetings to discuss the regulations so you can answer and clarify employees' questions.
Create teachings and guides on cyberthreats and emphasize policies and consequences for breaching them.
Schedule reminders and rules for updating passwords. You can automate password changes, ensuring employees update them regularly.
Implement policies like only allowing payments to secure and vetted platforms. You can also incorporate additional security measures like two-factor authentication.
Communicate requirements and guidelines for backing up company data. Install a secure file or cloud-based software on company devices where staff can save their work and information.
Make a rule that team members can only use authorized, company-issued laptops and other devices.
Implement policies on downloading software and install security walls on devices blocking staff from downloading unauthorized software.
Set up training with IT departments to educate staff on identifying and reporting spam emails or phishing scams.
Upskill Your Staff With eLearning Solutions From Intellezy
Provide your employees with engaging cyber security training through off-the-shelf or custom eLearning courses. At Intellezy, we understand the importance of upskilling your staff and providing regular and digestible training. That's why we offer multiple solutions like training videos, custom eLearning course development, and AR & VR learning solutions.
Our knowledgeable Learning & Development experts can work with you to develop personalized cyber security training content based on your company's unique needs and objectives. Fill out our online form to request your free trial and see how our cyber security video courses help your team identify and prevent cyber threats.
