Cybersecurity awareness training for all employees
Cyber attacks are becoming more common and hackers continue to develop new, innovative techniques. As a company, you probably invest a lot of resources to protect yourself against possible attacks. This is a good start, but it’s not everything
Employees are your best defense or weakest link
It may surprise you, but employees are often the cause that hackers can strike because they just leave the door open, so to speak. This can be done in various ways, such as: a weak password, connecting to an unsecured network, leaving a smartphone/laptop unsecured,… There are almost never malicious intentions involved, but unfortunately they are not always aware of it. the dangers.
Go for an understandable IT security policy & training
The security of the company and the safeguarding of personal and/or company sensitive information is everyone’s responsibility. With the help of an IT security policy you can inform everyone about the possible dangers and how to respond to them in the correct way. Because not everyone has a technical background, it is important that you remove professional jargon from your communication as much as possible. In addition, it is important that this is a dynamic document and that it is continuously updated with new trends and developments. Send this document to your current team and all new employees.
We probably don’t need to tell you this, but it’s naive to think that everyone will read the policy you’ve invested so hard in. Therefore choose to to organize an IT security training on a regular basis with some relevant topics at that time. Moreover, interactive training is better for remembering things. You can set targets for this and possibly link an incentive to this to stimulate employees.
What must be covered in your security policy and training
1. The various types of threats
It goes without saying that employees must first know what to look for before they can take action. So start with an overview of the most common cyber attacks such as phishing, spam, ransomware and malware. In addition, provide training on a regular basis that focuses on new, innovative techniques. This way everyone stays up-to-date and you keep yourself and your team sharp!
2. The importance of a secure internet connection
Many will probably have done it before: connecting to an unsecured, public Wi-Fi network. But did you know that this is not always without danger? Hackers are taking advantage of people’s need to connect everywhere for free by setting up insecure connections intended to obtain personal data! We therefore recommend that you encourage your employees to never use an unsecured network unless it is really an emergency.
3. How to choose a secure password
All too often people choose a simple password that they can remember and reuse it for different accounts. In addition, this password is not regularly replaced, although this is crucial to protect yourself against hackers. Give your employees tips for choosing a strong password or a strong passphrase and introduce them to password managers.
4. Safe habits on the internet
In 2020 everyone surfs the internet almost every day, so it is important to maintain safe surfing behaviour. Be wary when asked for your personal information and make sure all your necessary programs are up to date. The latter often ensures that weaknesses from previous versions are improved or even removed.
5. Caution in everyday life
In addition to the internet, it is also important to be on your guard in everyday, offline life. Therefore make sure that you always protect the password of your smartphone and of your bank card and that no one is looking over your shoulder. Always keep other data carriers such as your identity card and driver’s license in a safe place and immediately go to the police if you notice that you have lost them.
In addition to these common hacking techniques, new, innovative techniques are regularly added. Therefore, keep an eye on trends and developments and regularly arrange for an update session in which you discuss and clarify these in detail on the basis of concrete examples.