These Are the Topics Cybersecurity Training for Employees Should Cover
Maybe your team is remote working and you’d rather they did it safely. Maybe you work in a sector that handles a lot of sensitive information and you can’t take any chances with your cyber security. Whatever the reason, in this day and age cyber security is one of the most important IT measures your business can take. Since your employees are typically your first – and weakest – line of defence, training them to be as cyber smart as possible will protect your business and pay dividends for years to come. Here are some of the main areas to focus on.
Email scams
Cyber criminals know that it’s much easier to trick an employee than a firewall. This is why email scams are their favourite attack method. It’s also why phishing scam awareness training should be at the top of your list cyber security training for employees. All employees should know how to spot phishing scams and what to do when such emails land in their inbox.
Removable devices
Plugging in an external drive or CD into a computer can unleash malware instantly. It’s a direct line into a system, bypassing its firewalls. Criminals have therefore been known to distribute such devices wherever they can; at a conference, in the post, etc. Train your team to be alert to this and do things like never plugging untrusted media into a computer, disabling autorun, and bringing removable media to IT for scanning.
Correct use of public WiFi
WiFi typically found in public areas like trains and in airports is typically less secure than office WiFi. Criminals can also create fake public WiFi networks in these same locations to lure people in and allow criminals free reign within their machine. It’s therefore essential that employees are aware of these risks and use a VPN whenever they’re out of office.
Keeping desks clear
Not all security breaches are digital. Sensitive information can be easily left on stray bits of paper, sticky notes, and other documents. So, whether you’re in the office or working in a café, ensure your cyber security training for employees includes keeping all sensitive and confidential data out of harm’s way and prying eyesight.
Password Policy
Without your team following a series of best practices, passwords can end up being far too easy for a criminal to crack. Make sure passwords are changed regularly, have a mixture of letters, numbers, and symbols, and are combined with multi-factor authentication.
Social media habits
Cyber criminals can pose as legitimate entities on social and dupe employees into giving up personal data or downloading malware. There’s also a risk of carelessly broadcasting sensitive information publicly. Employees should therefore be trained to treat social media with as much care as they would email and see it as a public forum where anyone could be watching.
In today’s world of remote and hybrid work, a team that isn’t cyber aware is like having a car without seatbelts. It’s a basic requirement that sooner or later, will save you from the worst. But a cyber aware team isn’t the only requirement for adequate remote working. If you would like to get a holistic view of how remote work ready your business is, click below and use our remote working assessment tool. It can deliver you a verdict within a few minutes.
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