Security Awareness Training

Arm your guards: security awareness training

Imagine your company's sensitive data as a treasure chest and your new hires as the security guards of this precious trove. Without proper training, these guards might unknowingly leave the key in the lock, inviting criminals to raid your most valuable assets. In the battle against cyber threats, security awareness training isn't just a precaution?it's your first line of defense. Here's why educating your newest team members is essential to safeguarding your organization's future.

Mitigating Human Error

Human error remains one of the leading causes of security breaches. According to Verizon?s annual Data Breach Investigations Report 68% of breaches reported in 2023 involved a human element. New hires, unfamiliar with the company's systems and protocols, are particularly vulnerable to making mistakes that could compromise security. From personal experience, In the 25+ employees I have onboarded in my career, I have had at least 2 new hires fall for phishing attempts. And I am in cybersecurity! One of the new hires responded to ?Microsoft requesting to reset their password via phone? and the other new hire clicked on a link from the ?CEO?. In both cases, I had to subside my frustration and understand the underlying issue. I was not providing my new hires with security awareness training early enough in their onboarding process.

Establishing a Security-First Culture

Introducing security awareness training during the onboarding process helps instill a security-first mindset from the very beginning. When new hires understand the importance of cybersecurity and their role in maintaining it, they are more likely to adopt secure practices as part of their daily routine.

Protecting Sensitive Information

New hires often have access to critical systems and sensitive data soon after they join the company. Without proper training, they might inadvertently mishandle this information, leading to data breaches or leaks. Security awareness training ensures that new employees understand the importance of data protection, the potential consequences of data breaches, and the specific measures they need to take to safeguard information.

Like most of my posts, I want to emphasize that cybersecurity is a moving target. We aim to be perfect and have no security incidents throughout the year. However, the reality is that bad actors are constantly evolving their methods and techniques to circumvent our preventive and detective controls. We encourage clients to include security awareness training within 30 days of hire date and at least quarterly for all employees. So arm your guards with the tools and techniques they need to fend off bad-actors by requiring security awareness training early and often.