The three-hour training covered cyber threats, threat-related risk behaviors, threat impact, and preventive measures. After training for both methods, another attack was conducted to compare the level of cybersecurity awareness before and after training. If a user opens, clicks, or fills out the information in the phishing email, he or she receives a risk score of 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
In addition, a large organization may have more than 1,000 employees, making it difficult to implement an instructor-led method. Social media usage is increasing day by day and so are social media threats. Hackers use social media platforms to steal personal information from individuals or organizations. This can be in any form, such as malicious links, registration forms, gift certificates, etc., available on social media platforms. Criminals may use the personal data obtained to gain access to the individual’s professional information.
You can also consider using common sense about access to technology and consider further protections for employees with layered authentication. This could be something as simple as prohibiting employees from taking their laptops home on weekends or implementing a two-step verification process. Include money in your cybersecurity budget for ongoing employee training. Employees are the leading cause of cybersecurity incidents in organizations, usually due to human error.
These metrics give your company’s leadership and investors confidence that your cybersecurity training is effective in real-world scenarios. One mistake some companies make is that they conduct security awareness training throughout the organization and then believe that taking a single course will protect them and their employees in the future. However, cybersecurity defense training should be an ongoing investment in your virtual protection.
By implementing cybersecurity awareness policies and practices, you empower your employees and your organization to avoid cyberattacks and continue to perform at peak levels. Protect your organization with these tactics to create a must-have cybersecurity awareness program, then read our tips for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. If so, cybersecurity is critical to your survival in an industry dominated by growing virtual crime. Certainly, most people know about the costly identity thefts and reputation-damaging network hacks that are in the news almost daily. Organizations deploy firewalls, comprehensive cybersecurity systems and sophisticated IT protocols to protect themselves from online threats.
It is believed that the attackers went undetected and had unfettered access to eBay’s systems for 229 days. The hackers had installed a fake certificate that allowed them to hide the leak in encrypted traffic. EBay did not have an HTTPS inspection solution with full access to all keys and certificates, so the fake certificates went undetected for a long time. The fallout from the security breach resulted in eBay having to cut its annual revenue target by $200 million and struggling for months to regain customer trust and brand value.
Multi-factor authentication provides a second layer of protection for sensitive information. Every day, your shareholders and customers rely on you to protect their investment in your company. To maintain their trust, your company must have an effective cybersecurity awareness policy and measure success against real-world metrics. In 2014, eBay was the target of a phishing attack that stole sensitive information from more than 100 employees. After penetrating the network, the hackers stole the names, passwords, email addresses, addresses and other personal data of more than 145 million customers.
This type of response can help the organization meet service agreements made with customers. Therefore, cyber exercises can help ensure that the organization’s employees are aware of cyber threats and can respond to them more effectively. The main goal of any information protection policy or program should be to gradually change people’s behaviors. The security protection strategy must be able to identify the critical behaviors that can potentially lead to behavior change.
Using a phishing email mockup designed specifically for an employee’s work context tests cybersecurity awareness in a real-world way. Employees need clear policies and guidelines to reduce fears and avoid potentially dangerous behavior. Regular cybersecurity training gives them the confidence and tools they need people, process, technology to keep their company safe. Your company’s cybersecurity is only as strong as its weakest employee – it’s your responsibility to create a risk culture in the workplace that promotes cybersecurity awareness. Employees need to understand the role they play in strengthening the organization’s cybersecurity.
Personal devices used for work purposes should remain locked when unattended and be equipped with antivirus software. If a company wants to provide this incentive, it should focus on educating remote workers about safe work practices. The introduction of random passwords can make it much more difficult for malicious actors to access a number of accounts. Other steps, such as two-factor authentication, provide additional layers of security that protect the integrity of the account.