Cyber security awareness is more than knowing that online threats can compromise your business’s information assets. It’s about identifying weak spots in your security protocols, patching up those vulnerabilities and educating employees on what they need to do to protect confidential information. While most of us have been receiving a suspicious-looking emails, the tactics used by hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, which isn’t something that will change.
Creating a work culture prioritising cyber security awareness is one of the most effective ways to reduce human error and stay ahead of the game. Here, we discuss how that can be accomplished and why a cyber attack could be complex for your business to recover from.
What sort of cyber attacks are businesses at risk of?
There are several ways in which hackers can infiltrate your business. Phishing is one of the main methods of attack, which involves sending emails that look authentic but encourage recipients to impart confidential information. Spear phishing is very similar but is more targeted towards a specific individual than sending out a mass email campaign.
There’s also the threat of social engineering to be aware of when one person tricks another to gain authorised access to sensitive data, such as giving up their password. Regardless of which method they choose, once hackers have the resources they need, they’ll likely use malware (harmful software) to inflict damage across company devices and networks to achieve financial gain.
Cyber security awareness will make your business less vulnerable
Cyber security awareness must come from the top. If managers are prepared to invest in corporate training, their employees will better understand the steps they need to take to reduce the risk of a cyber-attack. You would not run a taxi company without insuring your vehicles; the same theory applies here. If you want to keep confidential data safe, employees must know how to protect it.
Without this knowledge, your business and its assets will be more vulnerable and likely to suffer at the hands of a professional hacker. This could have huge repercussions, such as financial impact, loss of revenue and a reputation beyond repair. If CEOs and managers place cyber security awareness at the heart of what they do, it will become integral to how their employees work and react to online threats.
Prioritise cyber awareness training to highlight security weaknesses
There are many ways to implement cyber awareness training, and your chosen method can depend on your business. You might decide on outsourcing training sessions for your employees to reduce the human error hackers exploit to access sensitive information.
Having an effective security system goes without saying, as is keeping a close eye on any cracks and weaknesses that may appear. But ultimately, if you have employees who will naively open any attachment that arrives in their inbox, your business and its livelihood are at risk.
Counteract this by making them aware of the dangers of phishing attacks, encouraging them to ask questions if they’re unsure and always keeping passwords to themselves. You could also conduct internal security checks to identify weaknesses, test employees’ cyber security awareness, and assess the chance of an external threat.
Contact Neuways for help with cyber security awareness
If you need support with educating employees about cyber security awareness, or you want some advice on the effectiveness of your security standards, Neuways can help. You can contact us by clicking here, and we can answer any questions you have about improving the online safety of your business.
