This article is posted with permission from VC3's blog and shares non-technical, municipal-relevant insights about critical technology issues, focusing on how technology reduces costs, helps better serve citizens, and lessens cybersecurity risks. VC3 is solely responsible for the article’s content.
When it comes to securing your company’s network, you must think beyond technology. Relying on firewalls, antivirus software, and secure remote connections is simply not enough anymore.
Why? Cybercriminals can simply trick employees and bypass all your expensive cybersecurity tools and solutions. The actions of your employees are actually the greatest risk to your network.
Employees Are Your Weakest Security Link
You might think, “Employees are smart and we trust them. They are professionals and know how to safely use technology like email and the internet.” However, a single mistake such as sharing personally identifiable information (PII) through a phishing scam is all it takes for a data breach to occur.
All organizations – no matter their size, shape, or industry – are at risk for cybersecurity attacks caused by their very own employees. Below are just a few key takeaways from several recent studies:
And as we often state in our presentations, 95% of cybersecurity attacks begin in an email.
The Solution Is Security Awareness Training
How can you keep your employees engaged and accountable for the security of your environment if they are not aware of the risks? Employee security awareness training should be a comprehensive, continuous program that trains individuals on defining and recognizing cyber threats, the consequences of a cyberattack, and ways to prevent a cyberattack.
Training should focus on common cybersecurity threats, how to react when faced with a threat, and how to correctly report an issue. Along with training provided at regular intervals, security awareness training should also allow an organization to send fake but realistic phishing emails to employees and provide extra training to those who are fooled by the emails.
If employees know more about cyber threats and how they can compromise an organization, they will be more engaged in protecting your organization. Employee security awareness training is one of the best cybersecurity investments you will make.
Take Action… Now!
Employee security awareness training is now essential to all organizations. Without employees staying vigilant, your organization will greatly increase the risk of a cyberattack occurring. Revenue and client loss, damaged reputation and compromised information, and personally identifiable information and/or intellectual property theft are just some of the consequences.
With an employee security awareness training program in place, you not only increase employee knowledge and confidence but also establish a culture of security within your organization.