Researchers from Standford University estimate that 88% of all data breaches are caused by human error. This is because cyber criminals no what works and how they can best obtain a foothold into an organization. While firewalls, physical security, and other controls may prove difficult to crack, these bad actors can always count of humans to slip up. Through social engineering and targeted phishing schemes, cyber criminals are able to effectively breach an organization simply by sending an email. These phishing emails, voicemails, and SMS text messages are created in way that is almost indistinguishable from a legitimate message. This makes it easier for criminals to psychologically manipulate users into clicking a link, sending over confidential data, or giving someone remote access.
Unfortunately, the most advanced, technical controls can't defend against human error which is why education is so important. Only security awareness training can effectively prepare employees for the dangers of social engineering. Yet, according to Statista, only 29% of surveyed organizations train their employees at most once a year. Security awareness training is crucial to the success and security of any organization in the modern technological world.
Security awareness training involves educating every single employee within an organization on the risks they face when conducting work online. The primary threat that users should be educated on is social engineering. This is the act of manipulating an individual into taking a desired action including clicking a link, downloading a suspicious software, or giving an unqualified user remote access. These messages are often sent via email, but are increasingly being sent out through other channels including SMS messaging, voicemail, and social media.
The job of security awareness training is to show employees what these attack look like, what the common signs are, and how to respond.
What many organizations don't understand is that security awareness training is meant to be consistent. Educating employees is not a one and done deal. Users must be continually tested, informed, and trained on the latest trends, threats, and risks to their security. This includes periodic phishing tests that make sure employees are always on the lookout for potential cyber threats.
Security awareness training programs ought to be comprehensive in their material in order to offer the best picture of what the current threat landscape looks like. This includes making sure employees are educated on the latest trends and potential risks that they may run into while doing their job. For instance, AI has proven beneficial to cyber criminals looking to automate attacks and generate convincing emails and messages to trick users. Training programs should inform users of changes like this so that they know what to expect. Additionally, corporate security awareness training isn't enough. As many users bring their own devices into the office, it's important to place emphasis on personal cybersecurity as well. Don't limit security to just the office, make sure that the culture of security extends everywhere.
At the end of the day, security awareness training is necessary for every single business today. Organization cannot hope to defend themselves against advanced phishing schemes or ransomware attacks without first knowing what to look for. Additionally, many regulatory standards require organizations' employees to undergo some form of security awareness training. HIPAA, NIST, and PCI compliance frameworks all require a certain level of security awareness training.
Without a training program in place, you risk exposing your organization to unnecessary risks and in some cases legal repercussions. This is why security awareness training is crucial for every organization.
If your company wants to take the next steps in its security journey, you can contact CorpInfoTech today!
CorpInfoTech (Corporate Information Technologies) provides small to mid-market organizations with expert I.T. services including compliance assessment, cybersecurity penetration tests, and comprehensive business continuity planning services. CorpInfoTech can help organizations, quantify, create, refine, and mitigate the risks presented by business threatening disasters in whatever form they may be disguised.