Data is more valuable to companies – and hackers – than ever. Our world is digital – and almost all of the most valuable information in every company is stored in a database, server, or computer.
So it may surprise you that, despite advances in hacking and the increased resourcefulness of cybercriminals, the primary cause of data breaches is still employees.
Negligent or ignorant employees are responsible for far more data theft and loss than third-party hackers – whether it’s because of carelessness, weak passwords, or simple ignorance of corporate security policies.
Employees – The Biggest Asset (And Vulnerability) At Your Company
Your employees are your biggest asset – but they can also be the biggest threat to your corporate data security and integrity. Even if your IT team and equipment are top-notch, an employee outside the technology department could still cause a data breach, if they are not properly informed.
Security regulations and the digital landscape are constantly changing – and this means that every employee needs to be trained on security awareness, and how to prevent the most common causes of data breaches – such as weak passwords, downloading malware from phishing emails, and accidentally exposing data to third parties.
How To Enhance Employee Cybersecurity Knowledge – 3 Essential Training Programs
To enhance the knowledge of employees, and ensure that they can respond properly to threats, there are three basic programs on which they should be trained regularly. They are as follows:
- Security awareness – The first, and arguably most important, training program is a simple security awareness program. Employees must be made aware of the changing cybersecurity landscape – and what types of attacks are most likely to target them, such as spoofed phishing emails, or malware downloads. They should also be informed about best practices like making secure passwords, and regularly changing passwords for mission-critical databases and applications.
- Your corporate security policies – Does your company have a great IT security policy in place? Great! But it’s meaningless unless your employees are aware of it – and follow your policies and regulations. You need to train your employees on your corporate security policies. Don’t just tell them what they are, either – explain why they exist. For example, if you prohibit them from using personal flash drives on their work computers, you need to explain why it’s a security threat – and what alternatives they have.
- Incident response plans – Every employee should know what to do if there is a data breach, regardless of their role in the company. Creating a disaster recovery plan (DRP) and incident response plan is the best way to make everyone aware of what they need to do when a hack or breach occurs – so that it can be dealt with quickly, efficiently, and with minimal damage to the company.
Need Help With Employee Security Training? Contact Us Today!
Training employees on modern cybersecurity threats is not always easy – and you may lack the resources to do it on your own. If you need help, get in touch with K3 Technology right away at 303-770-8050
We’d be happy to discuss how we can help you protect your valuable data, and educate your employees on the importance of cybersecurity.
