Most businesses around the world have understood the critical need of moving online with digital transformation becoming the buzzword. There are undeniable benefits of moving online such as reduced cost of operations, reaching a worldwide market, better efficiency and monitoring of resources, quick decision making, and offering better quality products and services, among others. With cloud computing becoming mainstream, employees can work from almost anywhere and at any time.
In fact, the success of any business is largely attributed to its effectiveness in managing the online resources and operations. So, does this mean everyone in the online ecosystem is one large happy family? The answer is a resounding NO with cybercriminals targeting the ecosystem with increasing ferocity. If statistics are to be believed then the world is expecting the cybercrime damages to touch a whopping $6 trillion by 2021 (Source: Cybersecurityventures.com.) Also, hackers are targeting networks and computer systems worldwide once every 39 seconds (Source: University of Maryland.)
Interestingly, cybercriminals are targeting the weakest link in the IT infrastructure of any business – its employees. In fact, most of the data breaches (around 90%) are caused by human errors with hackers using phishing and social engineering methodologies to lure or trick employees into sharing sensitive information. What does this mean? The fact that employees are the first line of defence in the fight against cybercriminals cannot be overstated. They need to be provided with effective cyber training to deter cybercriminals from stealing data or any other critical information.
Why is the cyber training of employees so important?
Most employees are unaware of the threat of cybersecurity and do not know how to recognise let alone manage it. Despite the presence of robust security software solutions and firewalls, employees can be the conduit for tricksters to get into an IT infrastructure. The damage caused by unknowingly letting in an intruder (hacker or malicious program) can be immense. Cybercriminals can do away with sensitive business or customer information causing irreparable damage to the business and its brand equity.
On the other hand, a trained employee in cybersecurity will be able to identify, mitigate, report, and eliminate a malicious threat. With hackers using Artificial Intelligence to manipulate the system using some form of human error, businesses should train their employees to understand and thwart the threats from social engineering. No matter how automated or sophisticated your systems are unless they are manned by people who are updated about the notions of Risk and Compliance, stopping cybercrime can be a big task.
Areas to cover in cyber training
With cyber criminals getting more sophisticated in targeting your employees, systems, and resources, letting your employees undergo cyber training in Mandurah will keep you in good stead. The training will help them understand the threats coming from social engineering, phishing, malware, viruses, and spams.
Password security: Employees must know the critical role of a password in preventing security breaches. Also, they must set up strong passwords for various accounts comprising numerals, alphabets, and special characters.
Policies related to email, social media, and internet browsing: The browsing habits of employees can expose them to the risks of social engineering. Therefore, it is important that for any security awareness training in Mandurah and elsewhere, employees should be made aware of the guidelines and policies concerning the use of the above-mentioned media.
Identify and report cybersecurity threats: Employees need to be educated about lurking viruses, malware, or phishing hacks and the way to spot them. Since they are the first line of defence for any business, they must know how to red flag such issues and escalate them along the hierarchy.
Conclusion
With rising threats of cyber security, businesses must educate their employees about the ways and means to identify and mitigate such risks. Further, such training sessions should not be a one-time affair but a continuous fixture in the businesses calendar of events. Should you want your business in Mandurah to have great security measures, then call (08) 6424 3030, send an email to hello@internalit.com.au or visit www.internalit.com.au.