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The task of making sure that your company’s cybersecurity is up-to-date and capable falls squarely on the shoulders of the business leader. However, preventing and coping with a cyber-attack should be something that everyone in the company can accomplish.
The only way to achieve this level of awareness is by providing your staff with the appropriate training. The processes that relate to cybersecurity are always updating as new technology is introduced. This may lead you to think that effectively training your staff is an impossible task. Fortunately, this article will tell you everything that you need to know.
Why do you need to Provide Cyber Security Training To Your Staff?
You Can Get Them Involved Early
An expanding business is always bringing in new staff. While onboarding is a time-consuming process, it can provide you with the perfect opportunity to get your staff started on the right foot when it comes to cybersecurity trends.
When bringing new employees into the fold, you should try to stress the importance of cybersecurity from day one. This also provides you with the chance to bring them up to speed on all of your cybersecurity protocols, establishing that significance from the off.
This means that the next time you need to set up some security trends, they aren’t starting with a blank page.
There Are Practice Drills
There is no better way to learn something than actually doing it. Unfortunately, a real cyber-attack could cause irreversible damage to your servers and no one wants that. What’s more, your staff might not be equipped to handle the situation properly if they have yet to encounter such a stressful phenomenon. That is why it is important that you run cybersecurity drills.
You can hire a cybersecurity team to replicate a real cyber-attack, one that will not cause damage or release your confidential customer data. These drills can put your staff to the test, making sure that their skills are up to par. What’s more, these training exercises can highlight areas in which you need to improve, providing you with a focus for your next training session.
Certification Requires Your Staff To Be Capable
One way to show that you can handle the responsibilities of cybersecurity is by procuring the proper systems management. An ISO 27001 certificate shows that you have understood and met the standards to protect your data and the confidential information of those around you.
These processes can be quite complicated to interpret, and you may need some help with the documentation. Contact a business like High Table, who can help you manage the steps required to get your ISO 27001. This can be achieved using ISO 27001 templates. This can also help you to set a clear policy.
One of the steps you need to take during an ISO 27001 audit involves proving that your staff can deal with a cyber-attack. The auditor will perform a practical test of your cybersecurity systems and highlight areas that need improvement.
This includes how your staff responds to the attack and any mistakes they may make. It is necessary for everyone who comes into contact with the sensitive information on your servers to be trained in how to protect it, so get your ISO 27001 to highlight any areas you are lacking.
Cybersecurity Is Only As Important As You Make It
Staff training is administered because you need to ensure that your employees are up-to-date on all of the standards necessary for a company to function in the modern age. Some of these factors are required by law, such as health to increase safety in the training.
There are set laws in place regarding cybersecurity. You will have to comply with the data protection act when handling the data of others, but when it comes to putting in the right security protocols it is completely up to personal choice.
Therefore, it is up to you as the leader to stress the significance of cybersecurity to your staff. Your employees look to you for guidance, so make sure that they know how much you care about procedures and that your staff will follow suit. Lead by example, and your staff will want to learn about cybersecurity.
Communication Is Key
A cyber-attack is never a good experience, and you may even find it to be embarrassing. No one wants to let their employees down; however, you must always try to be upfront about the computing issues that you face.
If you find yourself the victim of cybercrime, it is important to let your staff know what happened and why. There is no need to assign blame, but a practical experience such as this can highlight failings that you may otherwise ignore. Making sure that everyone is on the same page can help avoid a repeat of the situation, and you can only achieve this with solid communication. A quick briefing on the event should accomplish this without eating up too much time.
Focusing On The Why Is Key
The trouble with technology is that everyone has to approach it from a different background. There is a huge gap in experience between generations, and it isn’t slowing down any time soon. However, everyone will come to the office with a basic knowledge of how information technology operates.
Therefore, everyone is equipped to engage in the simplest parts of cybersecurity. For example, everyone knows that they must update their password regularly. But do people really know why?
That is why you should always seek to explain why these processes need to be completed, even if they are everyday requirements. Even the most basic protocols such as password management can open you up to a cyber-attack, so make sure you are stressing the importance of even the earliest stages of cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity Should Be In Effect At All Times
As your staff starts their day they will probably log in to their work computer. This is full of sensitive information that you have trained them to protect, and they will act in accordance with this training.
However, when lunch rolls around their first act is to withdraw their smartphone and use it without exercising any caution. This is perfectly normal behaviour, but it may just be the thing that is harming your cybersecurity.
Cybercrime can strike from anywhere. Your staff may be trained to deal with cybersecurity in the office, but an attack can come from another device. This means that someone can jump from their phone’s network and into yours if the employee is not as diligent with their home device.
Therefore, you should include this information in your regular training. Try to make sure that your staff is always aware of cybersecurity, even when they are using their personal smartphones.
Summary
Getting a large group of individuals on board with the same set of values is a difficult task. However, you are the leader, and they will look to you as an example. If you believe that cybersecurity is important, your staff will too.
This information should be apparent at all times and routinely enforced whenever possible. Cybersecurity is only going to increase in relevance as we move further into the digital age, so make sure you are doing all you can to prepare your staff.
