Did you know that your network can STILL be hacked even if you have firewalls and other security measures set up? User error is one of the most common ways criminals gain access to business systems and data. Even if you pay good money for network security, if you or one of your employees clicks on a bad link, opens an infected email attachment, or shares their password on an unsecure site… these are ALL simple ways criminals can bypass the security measures you have set up (and paid good money for) to protect your agency.
“As humans, employees make mistakes, they’re trusting of fake identities, tempted by clickbait, and vulnerable to other sneaky tactics used by criminals to gain access to company information” -Infosec
When your computer is in the office and safely sitting behind firewalls and other internal security measures, it is a lot harder for a hacker to reach (from a network security standpoint). Because of this, many attackers are turning to other methods – targeting your employees using Social Engineering and Password Theft. On top of that, with the COVID-19 pandemic almost every company that can allow employees to work from home has. While this has been great for business culture by and large, it has been equally dangerous in the respect that hackers are now targeting end users more than ever before.
Luckily, most breaches can be avoided by training end users. This is why we offer an Information Security Awareness Training – this has been proven to be the best way for small businesses to protect their employees and their data.
Why is training your employees so effective? Here are some of the top reasons we have found:
It helps us identify attacks – Because end users have direct access to company databases and files, the simplest way to gain access to them is by stealing their login information. By training yourself on what attacks look like and how to think about cyber security, you and your employees are much better equipped to defend against attacks.
It gives us confidence – Many attackers use fear and urgency as a primary tool to steal your information. Many will call or email you directly posing as the FBI or IRS demanding you to take immediate action… or else. Because we know what to look for and because we have been trained, we can defeat these scam artists by taking control of the situation and not allowing ourselves to be influenced by fear.
Eliminates Uncertainty – Many of us look at viruses and attacks as unknown, secret, almost magical things that we simply don’t understand. This is largely because we’ve never taken the time to learn the tactics of attackers, and don’t understand the different types of malware and behavior. By taking the time to learn about the tactics and tools of attackers, we won’t be left wondering whether or not the link or download you just clicked on is a virus or exploit.
It builds teamwork – If your work computer gets infected or you accidentally expose your password, many of us will overlook the incident and move on with our lives. We do this because we’re afraid of the repercussions and the embarrassment that our bosses and coworkers will lay upon us. The reality is that cyber security is a team effort and whether we like it or not, we are all vulnerable and capable of making mistakes. Security Awareness Training levels the playing field between everyone, so you won’t feel bad if something happens to you. It’s better to deal with the problem immediately and with the support of your team than to go it alone and potentially leave a vulnerability undetected.
It’s fun – Many of us think that Security Awareness Training would be dry and boring. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If done right (and we believe we’re doing this right), security training can be fun, engaging, and enlightening for everyone. Sure, the name of the training might sound boring, but the content you will learn is intuitive, fun, and dare I say even exiting!
To summarize, Information Security Awareness Training is an incredible tool that can be used to defend against attackers. Antivirus, firewalls and network defenses are all well and good, but the reality is that we as humans are the most vulnerable and susceptible to being fooled by attacks. Protect yourself, protect your company, get educated!
Learn more about our Information Security Awareness Class on our website, or give us a call at 360-516-6741.
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