Hackers have realised that it is easier to find someone who is willing, in a moment of weakness, to open an attachment or click on a link that contains malicious content, than to try to exploit technical vulnerabilities within business IT systems.
When trying to mitigate against security risks, most organisations continue to place more trust in technology-based solutions that on training their staff to be more aware of the threat landscape and able to recognise the red flags in cyber attack attempts.
There’s a right way and a wrong way to train employees in cyber security awareness. The wrong way approaches training as a once-a-year or semi-annual exercise in which employees are gathered in the break room with snacks and subjected to a long, or sometimes too-brief, PowerPoint presentation. This method treats employees as a passive audience and inadequately engages them. Done wrong, security training feels more like punishment than an opportunity to teach and inspire employees to be active contributors to their organization’s safety and well-being.
When it’s done properly, security awareness training is parceled out in more digestible portions that expose employees to content with greater frequency and variety so it can have a deeper impact. This approach treats training more as a carrot than a stick and is interactive and role-based, making it feel more relevant and worthwhile to employees. And because it’s more challenging, it engages the minds and memories of workers much more effectively than when they are forced to passively sit through a presentation once a year or even at more regular intervals.
If you are interested in learning more about employee security awareness training, do get in touch.
Bluespires helped our team understand the security threats we face and helped us take practical simple steps to be more aware.