The Importance of Security Awareness Training

What Is Cyber Security Awareness?

Human beings are still the weakest link in any organization’s digital security system. People make mistakes, forget things, or fall for fraudulent practices. That’s where cyber security awareness comes in.

This involves the process of educating employees on the different cyber security risks and threats out there, as well as potential weak spots. Employees must learn the best practices and procedures for keeping networks and data secure and the consequences of not doing so. These consequences may include losing one’s job, criminal penalties, or even irreparable harm to the company.

By making employees aware of the scope of the threats and what’s at stake if security fails, cyber security specialists can shore up this potential vulnerability.

Read more: Practical Steps to Successfully Eliminate Cyber Threats

What Is Security Awareness Training? 

Cyber security training in India, Security awareness can be defined as the technical approach to educating employees  to create awareness among all of them about the importance of data privacy, people's identities, and other assets which are often hacked by internet criminals.

Why Do Businesses Need Security Awareness Training?

The training programs will ensure businesses, employees as well as outside contractors, and business partners will follow processes that protect the computer system of an organization from a data breach. 

What Are the Benefits of Cyber Security Awareness Training?

First and foremost, a staff well-trained in cyber security poses less of a risk to the overall security of an organization’s digital network.

Fewer risks mean fewer financial losses due to cyber-crime. Therefore, a company that allocates funds for cyber security awareness training for employees should experience a return on that investment.

Furthermore, if all employees get training in cyber security practices, there will be less likelihood of lapses in protection should someone leave the company. In other words, you’ll reduce the chances that a security breach occurs because a critical employee wasn’t at work that day.

Finally, a company with security-aware personnel will have a better reputation with consumers, since most are reluctant to do business with an untrustworthy organization. A business that is repeatedly subject to security breaches will lose customers as a result of negative publicity, regardless of the actual impact of any particular breach.

To create this enhanced level of security, people need to be informed of best practices. 

Why Is Security Awareness Training Important?

Security awareness training is important as it protects an organization from cyber attacks on the system resulting in data breaches. The primary focus is the prevention of such incidents that lead to loss of brand reputation and financial losses as well.

The latest reports on the cost of data loss by leading organizations show that the average loss for IT companies was USD 4.2 million for every incident. And for the year 2020, the cost of loss was USD 3.86 million. The number of attacks against organizations continues to grow. Studies also proved that 95% of the incidents that occurred are typically due to errors by humans. Therefore it is important that protecting the information of an organization becomes a top and critical priority. This can be successfully implemented by ensuring that there is constant awareness and education of workers to identify the threats and the risks mitigation in an organization.

What Are Security Awareness Best Practices?

If you read enough business-oriented articles, you’ll eventually come across the phrase “best practices.” It’s a nice bit of jargon, but what exactly does it mean? In generic terms, “best practices” is defined as procedures shown by experience and research to produce optimal results. These procedures get accepted as a standard for widespread adoption.

Much of cyber security can be broken down into seven main topics:  

1. Data breaches
2. Secure passwords
3. Malware
4. Privacy
5. Safe computing
6. Mobile protection
7. Online scams 

The most commonly referenced security awareness best practices include:

• Getting into compliance - Different cities, states, and nations have different rules and regulations to follow. Everyone must become aware of these rules because ignorance of the law is not an adequate defense.
• Including everyone, even managers - It’s all or nothing. Anyone not participating in the new security measures constitutes a possible weak link. If everyone isn’t fully engaged, it’s all for nothing. This particular practice also assumes that all departments (e.g., HR, Legal, Security) must buy-in and help make it a reality.
• Establishing the basics, which include:
• Anti-phishing tactics - Employees need to be suspicious of emails from unrecognizable sources. Phishing scams use emails to gain access to systems and wreak havoc. Employees must be educated on things like suspicious links, attachments, and untrustworthy sources.
• Password security - There’s no excuse for having the word “password” as your password. They should be at least eight characters long, with both upper and lower case letters, numbers, and a minimum of one unique character. Avoid mistakes such as writing the password on a post-it note and attaching it to your computer.
• Physical security - This includes everything from physical access to your company’s IT department to keeping your company-issued mobile devices and laptops locked and within sight at all times.
• Social engineering - It’s crucial to raise everyone’s awareness of hazards, such as attempts at manipulating employees into granting system access or divulging confidential company information.
• Clearly communicating your security awareness program - This practice is especially important for middle and upper management. The higher-ups need to be kept in the loop, apprised of the current progress, and, in rare instances, report if any individual or department isn’t compliant.
• Making the training engaging and even entertaining - Company meetings and seminars are often dull affairs that everyone does their best to avoid. Keep people engaged by showing a humorous (yet topical) video or sharing odd and quirky security-related anecdotes. Just don’t overdo it.
• Reinforcing important messages with reviews and repetition - People often make the mistake of thinking that if they do something once, they don’t have to do it again. Cyber security is an ongoing thing and should include occasional tests and checks, scheduled at regular intervals throughout the year.
• Creating an environment of reinforcement and motivation - Promote constant vigilance and learning by creating a security culture that runs through every organizational level, down the entire chain of command. While it’s not necessary to continually harp on the subject with employees and end-users, cyber security should be a very relevant, everyday topic.

What is Cyber Hygiene and Why is it Important?

Exploring the concept of security awareness training, cyber hygiene is the precautionary practice that individuals can perform on a regular basis to ensure the health and security of devices, data, and networks. The importance of cyber hygiene is to minimize risks that arise from operational interruption or data breaches or data compromise to improve the security posture in the long term.  

What Should a Strong Security Awareness Training Include?

For a strong security awareness training program the features are as follows: educational content, testing, follow-up, and ongoing messages, test, and metrics of reporting worker involvement in these programs.

• Educational Content

Training programs should be tailored to match the variegation of technical aptitude and knowledge of cyber security among the employees. The key factors of effective programs are structured lessons, information for learning through newsletters, weekly emails, and policy updates that are accessible according to their roles.   

• Follow-up and Ongoing Messaging

Short refresher to identify and overcome risks and handle security problems against emerging threats. 

• Testing

Guide through simulated attacks like phishing, evaluations, and assessments to evaluate enterprise workforce to follow best practices in cybersecurity. 

• Measuring and Reporting Workers

Identify weaknesses, and flaws in the current programs and update them for effectiveness. 

How to Create and Implement a Successful Awareness Training Program?

The Chief Information security officer and team members are responsible for drafting the program. Contributors to the program should also be executives who are at significant risk and the strategy must align to match the requirement. The Human Resource Department is a key stakeholder and will lead the training for the development of an organization's approach to executive awareness programs. 

In the lessons, examples of threats and exposures and likely solutions to similar industry cyber-attacks should be provided. There should also be an assessment process so the organization can understand the level of cyber security awareness and change the lessons to match their level. 

How Often Should Security Awareness Training Occur?

Securities awareness training, cyber security training in India should be a continuous process or a series of programs where there is constant accrediting of awareness situations across the job roles at the organization. The frequency has to be determined and handled across the different departments. The training programs for security awareness should begin with new employees as a mandatory process at induction when there is the advocacy of these practices by experts and the issue of the certificate as part of their employment practice is the formal and informal structure to the process and establishes the best practices. 

The process of assessing, evaluating, and testing will highlight the effectiveness of certain programs and others. Alternatively, learning management systems are available for organizations to conduct the training content and must be kept available for employees.

Security Awareness Training Costs and Resources

The cost is dependent on the type and duration of the training program. This is likely to vary depending on the organization's exposure to risk and employees' strengths. When organizations use external resources that are free or low cost a basic program can be developed involving their own staff and could be estimated to be a few thousand. Bigger organizations would have a more extensive approach since they would need to build programs that are customized to meet the varying comprehension levels in the organization.

How Can I Get My Start in Cyber Security Awareness Training?

If you want to begin a new career in cyber security or upskill to round out your professional skill set, then Simplilearn has just what you need. Their Introduction to Cyber Security Course for Cyber Security Beginners is designed to give you a foundational look at today’s modern cyber security landscape, with an emphasis on how to evaluate and manage security protocols in information processing systems. 

You’ll also learn about information security concepts and technologies, including the principles behind security architecture, how to deal with and reduce vulnerabilities and threats to your infrastructure, and how to implement risk and incident management techniques to protect your critical systems from cyber-attack. 

After completing the four-hour, online, self-paced learning course, you will receive a completion certificate that verifies your knowledge of cyber security fundamentals. Once you pass this course, it’s time to take it to the next level.

Learn More About Cyber Security

Simplilearn’s basic course is a great start, but you may want to hone your skills further. Simplilearn’s CEH (v10) - Certified Ethical Hacking Course is just the thing for aspiring “white hat” hackers or anyone who wants to get informed about tactics to better foil malicious hackers. You can learn even more about hacking with the Professional Certificate Program in Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing, which certifies individuals in forensic security discipline from a vendor-neutral perspective. This course will enhance your knowledge about digital forensics, teaching you how to investigate and prevent cyber-attacks efficiently.

As the importance of cyber security awareness training in organizations continues to grow exponentially, so does the demand for more professionals to fill these vacancies. Now’s the time to make your move, and Simplilearn can help you take the necessary steps to a new, exciting, and profitable career!