Security awareness training has been shown in several studies to lower an organization’s vulnerability to data breaches. Training employees to be aware of security risks and how to recognize common threats like phishing and social engineering is essential in today’s increasingly digital workplace. Organizations reap additional advantages, such as decreased security expenditures, enhanced compliance, and increased knowledge of cybersecurity, when risks are mitigated. Any company that doesn’t provide new hires with security training risks having sensitive information compromised.
Methods of Attacking Computer Systems Commonly Used
Most malicious activities center on a phishing effort. The majority of major data breaches were initiated by phishing emails. The entire narrative of the big data breach, which included Target as one of the first victims, began with a phishing email. Worse yet, the first breach involved a third-party provider with access to the Target network.
Social engineering is frequently used in tandem with phishing. Social engineering is often used in tandem with phishing. In order to successfully penetrate a system, an attacker may first use a phishing email and then resort to social engineering. To steal millions from a victim, an attacker has only to use social engineering, which is an extra benefit of a sophisticated threat.
A crowded workplace might be a prime target for an intruder. Many employees are sent an email with a fraudulent link asking them to open a file. The victim of a phishing attack will always be made to feel as though they are under a time crunch to resolve a problem. The intention is to dissuade recipients from suspecting malicious intent behind the email’s contents.
These days, ransomware is a common target of cyberattacks because of its ability to lock down both individual computers and whole networks. Employees are often caught off guard by ransomware and unable to halt the attack or alert management in time for swift remediation. Many businesses that have been hit by ransomware don’t have the people or money to deal with such a sophisticated security risk.
The danger of ransomware is compounded by the fact that many companies forego security awareness training and lack the resources to detect it. Since they are relatively small, small firms don’t think they’re targeted. While some companies may not realize the value of their data, each given setting contains essential documents whose loss would have a disastrous effect on operational efficiency. According to researchers, attackers go after small organizations because they know they won’t find the same amount of enterprise-level protection there as they would at a larger corporation.
Once ransomware has infiltrated a system, it will systematically encrypt any and all valuable data and files in the system. Since the encryption uses irreversible ciphers, organizations are left with little alternative except to pay the ransom or recover from a previous backup. Researchers in the field of cybersecurity strongly advise against paying the ransom, yet many companies are left with no other option. While it is feasible to retrieve lost data from backups, hackers often blackmail targets by threatening to publicly disclose data breaches and the sensitive information they contain. Companies still lose money when their output stops, even if they have backups.
Why is it important to have a security awareness program?
Employees pose a significant threat to data security if they do not recognize the signs of a phishing email. Employees may avoid falling victim to phishing scams by learning to spot them during security awareness training. Trained employees may read the email, but they won’t follow the links or download the files.
Any business would be foolish to ignore the benefits of security awareness training. It’s an established technique for lowering danger and saving money on compliance-related penalties. Learning resources can be delivered in a variety of formats, including written guides, in-person classes, online videos, and more. It should be provided as part of the onboarding process for all new workers, and it should be refreshed on a regular basis to account for changes in the cybersecurity landscape that might compromise data security.
Email filters should be used in conjunction with security awareness training. Spam filters prevent harmful emails from reaching their intended recipients. If a phishing email does make it to the inbox, people who have been trained to recognize the signs can forward the information to the proper authorities. To help managers evaluate communications and detect ongoing threats, email filters can quarantine incoming messages.
Education about safety and security
When it comes to providing real-time security training, SafeTitan is unrivaled as an industry-leading, behavior-driven security awareness platform. SafeTitan allows you to provide your workers with up-to-date security awareness training, protecting them from being the next phishing or ransomware victim. Any company can benefit from our assistance in fortifying their cybersecurity framework.
Get set to minimize security problems and the expenses they cause by maximizing your capacity to safeguard your users and customers.