In the current climate of ever-evolving cybersecurity threats, it’s important for organizations to take a good look at their company processes and personnel training to ensure that they are promoting the proper levels of security awareness. A once-yearly awareness training most likely isn’t enough – a comprehensive security awareness program requires engaging, on-going exercises. Not sure how to begin building this culture of awareness throughout your organization? Here are 3 simple ways to get started.
1. Increase awareness and motivation
Awareness training often requires multiple approaches. When planning for training, consider that your employees have different learning styles. A lecture may be sufficient for some, while others will require a more hands-on method. Raising awareness of security issues in a context wider than the workplace can motivate all employees to engage with and buy into cybersecurity measures – knowing how to better protect their families and finances in addition to the organization. The best training programs include a variety of approaches to take these diverse learning styles and motivations into consideration.
2. Use interactive exercises
Cyber Security trainings are often perceived as boring (at best) or as a punishment. By implementing interactive security training and awareness, employees are more likely to engage with the information and put it into practice. Interesting, interactive methods include:
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- Desktop/tabletop exercises: These discussion-based exercises help employees learn how they would handle an incident such as a DDoS attack or website defacement. They are a great way to test procedures and discover any communication conflicts that exist, allowing participants to revise and improve company protocol.
- Phishing campaigns: Conducted by an internal team, phishing campaigns are able to track the percentage of employees who open a purposefully planted fraudulent email, click on a link within the email, and give out their information. These campaigns and their subsequent reports can train employees to spot and disclose any suspicious emails they may receive.
- USB drops: Are your employees trained to handle a mysteriously-found USB device? A surprisingly high percentage of people will plug an unknown USB drive into their computers, resulting in security compromises. Learn what your employees will do by orchestrating USB drops in the workplace.
3. Publicly recognize your employees
By shining a light on your employees who implement these cybersecurity best practices, you make them feel valued and encourage others to follow their example. This does not have to be complicated and can be easily achieved through mentions in company newsletters, internal marketing materials, and by general management.
As you work to increase cybersecurity awareness within your organization, focus on the specific behaviors you would like to see changed and work at achieving those goals incrementally. Keep in mind that cybersecurity training is not a destination but a journey as threats continue to change on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis. Offer a variety of training methods and opportunities, and your employees will develop an understanding of the essential role they play in protecting your organization as well as themselves.
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