?? Implementing Security Awareness Training Can Result in an Average ROI of up to 562%
Discover the critical role Security Awareness Training has in empowering your employees to identify and prevent cyber threats.
Why should Security Awareness Training be on your radar? Year after year, leading industry surveys continue to reveal that cybersecurity attacks are on the rise. Though organizations are spending more than ever before on technological solutions, and more robust software and recent updates are available, criminals are continuing to breach our networks at an alarming rate. Why are attackers successful as often—or more often—than they were in the past, despite advances in security technology??
According to Verizon's research, the most common action taken in breaches was the?use of stolen credentials. The 2022 State of Cloud Security Report found that 80% of organizations have experienced at least one severe cloud security incident in the past year. Human error?is almost always the reason these attacks succeed.
No firewall, intrusion detection system, or endpoint protection platform can help reduce these threats. They'll be just as prevalent no matter how much technologies improve.?
However, there are steps you can take to secure your organization against threats seeking to take advantage of human error.
A study by Osterman Research found that the ROI of security awareness training was 69% for smaller employers and 562% for large organizations.
Implementing security awareness training is relatively simple, cost-effective, and, according to research,?highly effective?at lessening these risks.
What is Security Awareness Training?
Security awareness training is a formal educational program designed to help employees be more mindful of?information security best practices?as they go about their daily activities. Its primary objective is to strengthen the overall security culture throughout the organization.?
Various types of security awareness training exist, from the "break room approach," in which employees are gathered for lunch-and-learns or special meetings, to training conducted via videos or webinars, all the way through comprehensive programs that include practice with simulated phishing attacks and testing.
How Do I Train My Employees for Cybersecurity?
Numerous cybersecurity awareness programs are available today, but not all are equally effective. Many security leaders struggle to gain support for this training from upper management, and some have difficulty getting employees across the business to take all its aspects seriously. Training that's poorly designed, conducted too infrequently to be memorable, or that has become outdated (which can happen very quickly in today's ever-changing cybersecurity landscape) won't give the hoped-for results.
Look for a program designed to engage your users, to hold their interest, and to provide ongoing training, assessments, and refreshers to ensure that they retain what they've learned. Programs that deliver information in a wide variety of media types and formats (ranging from posters to video, webinars to email newsletters) will cater to a broad array of learning styles.
Programs that include gamification build a sense of mastery and autonomy among users, improve their recall of information, and boost their willingness to participate. Programs that offer?testing and assessments?and display the results in a visually appealing dashboard make it easy to identify the individuals who pose the greatest risks.
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Importance of Security Awareness Programs
Because the human tendency to make mistakes remains the same while cybersecurity technologies grow more sophisticated, cybercriminals are focusing increasing amounts of attention and effort on people instead of technical defenses.?
Email continues to be the most common attack vector. Despite this, an alarmingly high percentage of users in one recent international survey were unable to correctly define—let alone accurately identify—a phishing or ransomware attack. In this cultural climate, security awareness training has the potential to make an enormous difference.
Benefits of Security Awareness Training
No matter which technical cybersecurity solutions your organization has in place, implementing a security awareness training program can enhance their effectiveness. Because of this, security awareness training continues to be among the most cost-effective ways to reduce the overall information security risks faced by your organization.
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An effective security awareness training program will significantly decrease your chances of suffering a data breach and reduce direct and indirect costs—for remediation and repair, revenue loss, reputation damage, and fines and penalties.
Forrester Research estimates that a mid-size organization would experience a $124,219 risk-adjusted benefit value over the course of three years after implementing a highly effective security awareness training program.
The "soft" benefits that such organizations would experience are more difficult to quantify but no less important. These include an increase in employee motivation and the ability to respond effectively to phishing attempts or other cyber threats. Employees who are confident in their ability to identify risks are far more likely to participate in a "speak up" and "safety first" workplace culture and are less likely to ignore threats when busy or stressed.
Where to Start with Security Awareness Training
Demand for cybersecurity awareness training is on the rise.?With so many options to choose from, it can be challenging to determine which cybersecurity awareness training program will best meet your organization's unique needs. Seek out a managed cybersecurity expert with extensive experience, and choose one that knows your industry well—including the threat profile and compliance requirements you face.
Several organizations, including NIST,?SANS Institute, and the?U.S. government, offer free resources that can help you evaluate vendors or lay the groundwork for your training program.?Many reputable sources also provide tools, newsletters (like this one!), and downloadable resources that are free to the public.
Death by Powerpoint: How to Choose an Effective Security Awareness Training Program
A common method for delivering security awareness training is by showing PowerPoint slides on?best practices?to assembled employee groups. Though this is undoubtedly better than no training at all, such presentations, which security experts and weary employees alike dub "death by PowerPoint," are among the least engaging ways to present this vitally important material.
In contrast, the most effective security awareness training programs for?today's complex and ever-changing threat landscape?are those that engage your users' attention and awareness by presenting highly relevant, personalized, and individualized material in a variety of formats.?
At Edge Networks, we recommend investing in Phin Security for advanced, interactive, and user-friendly security awareness training.
When searching for the right program for your team, make sure it includes:
If you create a security awareness program that employees find enjoyable and engaging, they're far more likely to remember its lessons and apply them at the right times. Include games among the educational materials and consider providing incentives or awarding prizes to employees who succeed in the training or are able to apply its lessons to real-world attacks.
It's also important to customize your messaging for different employee groups. Senior executives may not need or benefit from the same training as IT staffers, and industrial equipment operators will have different needs still. If you can make the training relatable and relevant, employees are more likely to appreciate its value.
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Bridging the Gap: From Awareness to Action
In a landscape where cyber threats continue to evolve, proactive measures like security awareness training offer a promising avenue for organizations to fortify their defenses. By recognizing the significance of this training and its ability to address the human element of cybersecurity, organizations can better equip themselves to navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of digital threats.
Some security best practices are simple, but choosing a security awareness training provider that will understand your business, industry, and company culture can be complex.
It's an important decision, however, since highly effective security awareness training can have a major impact on your resilience in the face of?today's most prevalent cybersecurity threats.
Great article and thanks for the shoutout! Employees are our strongest defense against cyber attacks as long as we empower them with the right tools and information they'll actually retain ??