Can Cybersecurity Education Instantly Fix Defense Issues?

As business leaders already know, cybercriminals can make life hell for private companies. Hackers steal information, blackmail businesses and leave a wake of destruction behind them. Even more troubling, nearly half of all cyberattacks specifically target small and medium businesses (SMBs).

But that's not to say things are hopeless. Believe it or not, cybersecurity education can drastically reduce your chances of becoming a hacker's next victim by raising the level of threat awareness within your organization.

Cybersecurity Education 101: Class Is in Session
One of the greatest benefits of cybersecurity education is it can be applied across industries including healthcare, finance and technology. In fact, every business can benefit from a well-informed workforce.

Trainings should be held on a regular basis. This helps keep cybersecurity top of mind and allows you to address specific risks or concerns including:

  • The dangers of free public Wi-Fi
  • Social engineering and spear phishing
  • Avoiding Trojans, malware and ransomware infections
  • How to report an incident
  • The consequences of data breach
  • The perils of shadow IT and undisclosed software or devices
  • And more

Remember to keep your training sessions accessible and free of jargon. Otherwise you may bore or frustrate your employees, which won't do anyone much good. Do your best to make the session engaging. Ask for questions and encourage audience participation.

Another idea is to invite your business leaders to share their own experiences facing cyberattack and data theft. Let people know these problems happen to everyone and how they respond can make a world of difference.

Research shows employee negligence is perhaps the greatest threat to cyber resilience, and many hackers use human fallibility as their primary method of incursion. Establishing a cybersecurity culture will do wonders for your operation.

Sure, cybersecurity training is an important part of the equation, but it's not an instant, nor eternal solution. As Healthcare IT News writes,"Adjusting an organization's security posture, including better enforcement and employee training, is a solid fix to security issues. There are few security leaders who would deny that user training is not only important -- it's critical. But much like other security needs, relying on a few different techniques and tools just isn't enough."

Is Cybersecurity Education Enough on Its Own?
Cyber defense training is not the end-all-be-all solution to eliminate cybercrime. Private organizations will still need to invest time and resources into adopting various cybersecurity solutions, including firewall protections, antivirus software and the like.

Similarly, leveraging the expertise of a cybersecurity analyst or an external defense agency can illuminate security flaws you may have overlooked.

The harsh truth is cyberattacks and data breach are almost inevitable for companies operating online, which is all the more reason to invest in cybersecurity liability insurance. CyberPolicy can help you find the policy best suited to your needs so you won't have to face the financial devastation on your own.

Visit CyberPolicy for your free cyber insurance quote today!

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