A cybersecurity breach can be a devastating event for any business. In addition to the financial impact, there could also be negative publicity and a loss of trust with your customers. One of the most common ways businesses are compromised is through human error. Employees may click on a malicious link in an email, download malware onto their computer, or give away credentials without realizing it.
That's why employee cybersecurity training is essential when looking to protect against cybercrime. Check out some of our reasons below for a quick peek into why we think employee security training is one of the most important things organizations can do.
Phishing scams are one of the most common ways that businesses are attacked. In a phishing scam, an attacker poses as a trusted individual or organization, maybe a higher-up in the company or a regulatory agency that the user is familiar with in their industry, in order to trick the victim into giving them sensitive information.
When they get these emails users often click on included links without hesitation since they wouldn't expect anything out of sorts from the sender. Often, the sender will also try to create a sense of urgency to worry the user and have them rush without thinking. But, if they have been trained to approach every electronic interaction with a little bit of caution, those extra moments can save them a lot of trouble.
A successful cyberattack can be completely devastating. Some companies never fully recover from a cyber attack and end up going out of business completely. In fact, up to 60% of small businesses permanently close within six months of a cyberattack.
So when you invest in training, you are helping to ensure the continued existence of your organization so that you can go on to grow, add employees and customers, and provide new, better services rather than dumping funds into paying ransoms for data and delaying those plans, or closing up shop altogether.
By teaching employees about cybersecurity, you can increase your employees attachment and feelings of accomplishment as they understand the valuable role they play in keeping the business safe and thriving. Employees who have been trained in cybersecurity are more likely to take steps to protect your business, such as not clicking on suspicious links or opening email attachments from unknown sources.
There are a variety of cybersecurity training resources available online. Many of these resources are free, and can be easily accessed by your employees. By making your employees aware of these resources and providing incentives to complete them, you cannsure they are equipped to protect your business from cyberattacks.
By taking the time to train your employees you’re protecting them, your customers, your partners, and your valuable business data. So pick some resources and build an informed and vigilant team!