The cybersecurity world is constantly evolving. Security risks and the tactics bad actors use to compromise organizations’ information security are never the same for long. Empowering employees with the knowledge and resources to combat cyberthreats like social engineering is an excellent way to cultivate a security culture at your business and ensure you have a comprehensive data protection plan in place.
Keep reading to learn more about the importance of security awareness training and how you can prevent human error from jeopardizing your company’s sensitive information.
What Is Security Awareness and Why Does It Matter?
Security awareness is being mindful of data protection and understanding your role in your organization’s risk management plan. Business leaders and coworkers have a shared responsibility to ensure their sensitive data‘s integrity and stay safe online, both at home and in the office.
You don’t need to be an information technology expert. However, understanding enough to know how to identify and respond to common cybersecurity attacks increases your company’s security posture and builds a lasting defense against bad actors. Having the right defensive technologies isn’t enough. Cybercriminals are always finding ways around the latest firewalls and programs, and the data reflects that fact. 85% of all internet-based attacks in 2021 involved the human element.
When your non-technical staff can effectively navigate social engineering security threats like phishing emails, account takeovers, and social media, you reduce human error and reinforce your risk management strategy. The best way to improve your workforce’s chances against hackers is to provide them with an awareness training program that teaches them everything they need to know about cybersecurity and how to promote it.
Common Social Engineering Attacks
There are many types of social engineering attacks. It’s essential to understand each one if you plan to identify, address, and avoid them.
Phishing
In a phishing attack, a bad actor sends an email or social media message, pretending to be a trusted source. The hacker often asks the user to verify their security information and direct them to a site or program that records their login credentials. A particular form of phishing is “spear phishing,” in which a hacker pretends to be a high-level executive asking for confidential information from a single person.
Vishing and Smishing
Vishing and smishing are two more varieties of phishing. Vishing involves calling a target and asking them for credentials, while smishing requires sending SMS messages to gain similar information. The perpetrator may pretend to be a coworker or related party.
Pretexting
Hackers who use pretext to access confidential information send the target surveys or other materials that ask for sensitive data like bank account details or personal facts. These attempts appear legitimate but have malicious intent.
The Importance of Cybersecurity Awareness Training
Security awareness training is a program that trains employees on cybersecurity measures and provides them with the tools they need to identify and address security risks. Training content covers cyber hygiene and all the possible cyberthreats involved with their role in the company.
To ensure compliance, you should deliver training modules routinely and dynamically. One-off sessions overloaded with information won’t stick with coworkers. Persistent, easily digestible training content compatible with individual work schedules encourages engagement and retention.
How You Can Protect Yourself From Social Engineering With Security Awareness Training
You need to build a security awareness training program to improve your security posture and reduce human error at your business. All it takes is for one employee to fall for a phishing scam for your security posture to disintegrate. Allowing cybercriminals to steal sensitive data can have tremendous financial repercussions and severely damage your reputation. Only by taking the time to educate your workforce can you reliably prevent cybercrime.
Building an effective security awareness training program is challenging but possible with the right approach. Focus your efforts on reaching employees with varying levels of experience with information technology and accommodate their learning styles.
What Your Security Awareness Training Should Include
Comprehensive security awareness training courses are multilayered and accessible. They present many lessons in a digestible format that matches the user’s learning style. Whether they’re an in-office employee, remote worker, high-level executive, or business partner, the training content should be engaging and relevant to their role within the company.
Effective security awareness training programs include:
Educational Content
You should match content to organizational roles. Content should be available in various forms, from physical material to digital assets. Never consider your training modules as one size fits all. Customize and personalize your collateral as much as possible.
Follow-Up Messaging
Reinforce your cybersecurity policies with deliberate messaging. Refreshing your team members on data protection measures and how to address security risks helps keep their lessons in the front of their minds.
Testing
You should reinforce your training content with real-life experience. Phishing simulations test users by placing them in a scenario where they must decide whether the company’s security posture is compromised or not. The user has a chance to report the phishing attempt, ignore it, or fall for it. If they fail the test, correct their behavior with an invitation to more training content.
Metrics & Evaluation
Demonstrate you’re resolving security gaps with detailed data and reporting. Use the results to optimize your training modules and note what’s working well. Also, send out surveys and assessments to read your company’s attitudes and gauge how well they’ve received the lessons. Gather all data and opinions and continue refining your training content.
Educate Your Workforce With First Class Connection’s Security Awareness Training Resources
You understand why security awareness is essential and how to structure an effective awareness training program. However, it’s challenging to gather the resources you need to build and implement a solution. First Class Connection specializes in providing businesses in every industry with high-quality IT security training resources.
Our security awareness training expands your team’s awareness, reducing human error, cybersecurity threats, and improving your security posture. We tailor teaching material to engage your users and maximize the effectiveness of our courses. Our computer-based training includes randomized phishing simulation emails that effectively test your users’ knowledge and recommend options for further education.
Are you ready to experience the benefits of security awareness training? Reach out today.
