Securing Your Team: Employee Cybersecurity Training Matters

75% of security professionals have seen an uptick in cyberattacks in 2023, and the costs of these attacks are expected to touch $10.5 trillion by 2025. Research shows that 72.7% of organizations worldwide were victims of a ransomware attack in 2023, with the global average cost of a data breach amounting to $4.45 million, a 15% increase over three years.

All the above statistics underscore the need for a robust cybersecurity strategy. An essential part of any information security strategy is creating employee awareness, as 70% of data breaches 2023 had a human element. 

Organizations must make cyber security training an indispensable part of their strategy and operations to resist these threats. With such a proactive approach, your organization is sure to gain much. 

What is Cyber Security Training?

Cyber security training educates employees about potential cyberattacks and how to watch out for them. It teaches them the different ways that a potential attacker can earn their trust and compromise their systems with the intent to profit from the data breach. This training often encompasses practical tips and suggestions that will safeguard the personal data of employees and the organization. 

Importance of Cyber Security Training for Employees

Cybersecurity training for employees is the key to an effective cybersecurity plan, as it offers many benefits for employees and the organization. Some of them for employees are:

Boosts Employee Confidence

Not all employees are comfortable using technology, especially senior employees of your organization. They tend to have a sense of insecurity and skepticism while using devices. 

However, comprehensive security awareness training can instill confidence in them, and they will feel more confident about identifying cyber threats. Moreover, it will boost their morale too.

Proactive Reporting

One of the advantages that come with increased awareness is a more proactive identification of threats and reporting of incidents to the security team. As a result, the security team’s productivity will increase, and they can lighten risks faster, leading to a more secure environment for everyone involved.

Reduces Social Engineering Attacks

When employees know what they must look out for, there will be a reduction in phishing and social engineering attacks. An organization is targeted by over 700 social engineering attacks each year, and with heightened employee awareness, these numbers can come down significantly. 

Improves Security

Employees who are aware of the impact of cybersecurity will take steps to create stronger passwords and secure their devices. Such actions can protect their data and have a positive ripple effect on the organization’s security. 

Security awareness can help your business in addition to benefit your employees.

Benefits of Cyber Security Awareness Training for Your Business

Below are some benefits to businesses from a well-developed cybersecurity training program:

Better Compliance

Cybersecurity training provides secure information security practices across the entire organization. This results in uniform checks across all processes to prevent unauthorized access to data and systems. In addition, these efforts also increase compliance with existing security standards and regulations.

Demonstrating Commitment to Security

Conducting training programs reflects your dedication and commitment to keeping your data and networks secure. This commitment will reflect well among your clients, partners, employees, and other stakeholders and can show your organization in a good light. 

Protecting Sensitive Data

All organizations today handle sensitive data, including the personal details of employees and customers. Cyber security training can help protect this sensitive data from unauthorized access, reducing potential data breaches.

Saves Costs

Cybersecurity incidents are costly for organizations. In a ransomware attack, the organization has to pay a hefty ransom to regain its assets. In other non-ransomware attacks, downtime is possible, resulting in financial loss. Plus, legal costs, fines for non-compliance to regulatory standards, and reputational loss can quickly add up. With comprehensive training, organizations can avoid these costs, resulting in substantial savings. 

Thus, these are some benefits that organizations gain with security awareness training. But, to benefit from the above advantages, the training has to be holistic and tailored to meet the specific objectives and operations of the company.

How to Create a Cyber Security Training Plan?

Every cybersecurity training plan is different and depends on your location and industry. Here are the broad steps to follow.

Understand the Needs

As a first step, understand what your organization needs. To do this:

• Create assessment tests to know the awareness levels of your employees.
• Understand the specific compliance requirements associated with the industry.
• Assess the organization’s cybersecurity strengths and weaknesses.
• Analyze past attacks, if any.

Based on these aspects, identify the focus areas of the training.

Create a Plan

Next, create a cybersecurity training plan. This plan must:

• Outline the topics to be covered.
• Explain the content delivery formats - podcasts, blogs, emails, etc.
• Lay down the timeline of delivery.
• Explain the methods used to assess the knowledge of employees after they attend the training.

Collaborate and Customize

Throughout the training, collaborate with the IT and security teams. Keep in mind that the objective is to help employees become more aware, and adapting content to meet this goal is necessary for success. Some aspects to do in this regard are:

• Lay down the objective so everyone understands what is going to happen.
• Be transparent about the type of assessments that will be used for evaluation and the consequences that come with not clearing these assessments.
• Provide simulations of real-world scenarios to help employees apprehend what to expect.
• Explain the process of incident reporting followed in the organization.

If you’re unsure how to go about this process or don’t have the time and resources to carry out this training, contact reputed third-party security training companies.

Investing in the Right Cyber Security Training Program

Speaker Agency is your trusted cyber security training partner. Our experts and speakers can educate and train your employees to meet your specific security training objectives in the UK cyber security training for employees. Check out our cyber security speakers and get in touch with us to empower your employees and help them identify and mitigate security threats. Together, let’s create a more secure workplace.