How well are your employees prepared for cyber
Not true
Small businesses are the easiest targets for cyber
Many small businesses don’t consider themselves a target. So they’re content with less defensive measures and put a low priority on cyber
A bigger risk than you think
It’s not simple to run a small business. To keep up with the competition down the block, small businesses must guarantee that they are growing intelligently. Unless their business involves technology, cyber
Cyber attacks are always damaging and they may cost you your business. In a Forbes survey, 43% of small businesses in the U.S and the UK lost valuable data in a cyber attack. Those data include classified trade secrets that took years to develop. They also involve customers’ names, addresses, emails, and credit card information.
Ransom is becoming more expensive. The average cost of a ransom attack was $84,000 in 2019. If you don’t have a lot of cash, that could be enough to dislocate your finances.
Cyber breaches disrupt business. Do you know how long it takes to recover from a cyber attack? The Forbes survey estimated that 50% of businesses took 24 hours or longer to recover from a cyber attack.
The statistics show what’s happening on the ground. Small businesses all the more need to beef up their cyber
So what is cyber security awareness training?
Your employees are your most valuable asset. Yet, they could be the weakest link that cyber criminals can exploit. What they need is comprehensive cyber
We’ve discussed insider threats in another blog. But just to recap, insider threats can come from people you don’t expect. They’re just around the corner, waiting for a moment to strike while bosses aren’t looking.
Insider threat actors could be existing employees who are misusing corporate data. They are motivated by money and seek to supplement their income. They could also be disgruntled employees who intend to sabotage the company on purpose. And then there are those that make accidental errors. The last group are members of the insider threat circle who are unaware of what is going on.
So what is cyber
Some of the biggest problems can be avoided entirely by training staff. It helps avoid crucial areas of failure before they happen. It helps resolve concerns that a regular employee can prevent. In the end, it improves the effectiveness and efficiency of information
Phishing simulations are typically included in a larger cyber
The simulation, which appears as a new email in the user’s inbox, puts what they’ve learnt to the test. A landing page is frequently displayed when a user interacts with the simulation by clicking on a “malicious” link or downloading an attachment. Here they are told how they should have reacted to the situation. Admins can then assign them additional training.
If a user doesn’t interact with the simulation or reports it to their IT department, the training was successful.
Some of the biggest problems can be avoided entirely by training staff. It helps avoid crucial areas of failure before they happen. It helps resolve concerns that a regular employee can prevent. In the end, it improves the effectiveness and efficiency of the company’s
Why is a cyber security program important to SMBs?
There are no guarantees when it comes to cyber attacks. However, cyber
Here are some of the most important benefits of cybersecurity awareness in the workplace:
Heightened security
This is the most obvious advantage of cybersecurity awareness training. Making your entire staff aware of the various risks that exist, ranging from data breaches to ransomware, will prevent them from making simple mistakes that could jeopardize your company’s
Employees will be more aware of information
If your employees are unaware of hackers’ capabilities, a single mistake might cost you a lot of money. An employee viewing his email on a smartphone using a public Wi-Fi network, for example, could pose trouble for your company. A breach is considerably less likely to occur if everyone in your company follows the same
Increased customer trust and brand reputation
Consumers are becoming more aware and concerned about cyber
According to a Ponemon study, 65% of consumers indicated they lost faith in the company after being impacted by one or more breaches. These figure emphasizes how critical it is to have a robust
Save time and money
It’s also a good idea to invest in cybersecurity training for your workforce. A single cyberattack in the United States may cost a firm $15.4 million. If it prevents a single attack, spending for quality cybersecurity awareness training is well worth it.
The same can be said about the amount of time spent. If an attack occurred, your team would devote a significant amount of time and effort to plugging the holes and repairing the damage. That time could be better spent on more important functions of the business. However, cybersecurity awareness training can prevent this hassle.
Cybersecurity breaches harm a company’s reputation and bottom line. Data breaches have become prohibitively expensive, particularly for small businesses. Increasing cyber
Empowered workforce
An empowered employee is a productive employee. Many employees feel stressed by data breach news. If staff are constantly informed about the newest cyber risks and attacks, it might help alleviate anxiety induced by cybersecurity uncertainty. Employees who receive cybersecurity awareness training can feel more confident in fighting against cyber threats.
You don’t want your workers to second-guess themselves. They’re less likely to open the suspicious message if they know what a phishing email looks like. Instead, they’ll toss it in the garbage. This self-assurance is crucial.
Employees will be less likely to commit the kind of human error that could lead to a deadly breach if they are empowered to act with confidence and awareness of the consequences. They’ll also be less likely to waste time discussing their decisions or waiting for IT to respond to a simple issue. They can deal with daily risks if they have the right cybersecurity awareness training.
Regulatory compliance
The number of compliance regulations that firms must follow continues to rise. Regulatory compliance is a must if your company handles personal, sensitive, or classified information. If you mishandle documents, it can have a negative impact on your company’s reputation and bottom line.
Employees will be more familiar with compliance standards if a cybersecurity awareness training program is implemented. It teaches them how to handle sensitive data and information, enhancing your company’s
Our final thoughts. In a safe setting, Cyber
Information technology evolves at a rapid pace. Emerging technologies come with emerging threats. As new technologies develop, so do new types of cyber attacks. To help protect against future attacks, you should consider providing an appropriate budget for your cybersecurity awareness training program.
By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from EveryDayCyber. We'll respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Recommended Reading
A Step-by-Step Process for Creating an SMB Cybersecurity Plan
Failing to plan is a plan to fail. The vulnerability of your small business's digital infrastructure is dramatically increased without a sound cyber security plan. Business plans help achieve desirable outcomes. You don't want to be a cyber attack victim, so build a plan.
What is a Password Manager?
A password manager is an encrypted storage system for keeping and managing passwords usually protected by a master password. Some password managers use biometric data to protect the vaults instead of master passwords. Still others support the use of two factor authentication for higher security.
What is a Firewall?
A firewall blocks outsiders from gaining unauthorized access to your computer and helps stop malicious software from infecting your computer.
What is Digital Identity?
Your digital identity is your set of unique features and characteristics identifiable to you. It is all data that can be traced back to you.
What is a certificate authority CA and what do they do?
Certificate authorities are the guardians of digital identity. They come in both public and private capacities. Certificates issued by them are trusted because information are validated from the requester’s own records and/or from third party sources.
7 ways to secure your home office
People working from home perform most of their tasks online. They are now more exposed to cyber attacks than ever before. Cyber criminals see a great opportunity in the massive growth in working from home and the vulnerabilities of home office security.