How do you train employees in cyber security and awareness?

Training employees in cyber security and awareness is extremely important to increase the level of protection for your organisation from various cyber threats and ensure a strong security culture.

Here are 10 points to consider when training your employees in cyber security and risk awareness, no matter their department or status:

• Evaluate gaps in your cyber security and what is needed: CISOs, DPOs and CIOs should start by identifying the specific cyber security risks and challenges their organisation faces. The cyber security threats facing a healthcare provider will be different and unique to the cyber security threats facing an automotive manufacturer. Therefore, you must specifically assess the skill level and knowledge gaps of your employees to determine the training and materials they need. TSC’s SABR (Security Awareness and Behaviour Research) tool is a fantastic place to start security gap evaluation.
• Develop a training program: Create a comprehensive training program that covers various aspects of cyber security. Consider including evergreen topics and consistently prevalent cyber threats such as password security, phishing awareness, social engineering tactics, secure browsing, GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) regulation and incident response.
• Establish a security framework of policies: Ensure that your organisation has well-defined cyber security policies and procedures in place. These should outline the expected employee behaviour in a variety of situations, device policies, password management, and incident reporting protocols. Policies and procedures build a security baseline for your organisation and provide a solid foundation for employees and security leaders to build a secure culture on.
• Make your training role specific: Separate roles within your organisation may have varying levels of cyber security responsibilities and may even face different cyber threats. Customise training materials to address the specific needs and risks associated with each role. This will keep employees engaged with training, rather than one-size-fits-all training that illicit an apathetic response.
• Offer advanced training and opportunity for personal growth: For employees who handle sensitive data or have specific cyber security roles, provide more advanced training. This might include topics such as secure coding practices, network security, mobile device security, or secure remote working. The idea here is to encourage cyber security advocates to keep improving their security behaviours but also to become security champions that other colleagues can look up to and aspire to be like.
• Consider interactive team-activities: Consider engaging employees with interactive training methods such as security workshops, phishing simulations, pop quizzes, and team activities. Interactive activities encourage active participation and provide opportunities for employees to practice their skills in a safe environment. You would much rather have employees make mistakes in a controlled practice environment, rather than the real world where the ramifications could be catastrophic.
• Build back a better security culture: Foster a culture of cyber security awareness throughout the organisation. You must encourage employees to report security incidents, share best practices, and remain vigilant in their daily activities. Regularly communicate updates on emerging threats and provide tips for staying secure.
• Keep training up to date: Cyber security threats evolve rapidly, so it is important to keep the training program current. Regularly update training materials to reflect the latest threats, technologies, and best practices.
• Reinforce training with continuous education: Provide ongoing resources and materials to reinforce cyber security awareness. This can include newsletters, security blogs, webinars, or mini-interactive sessions. These activities will keep secure behaviours at the forefront of your employees’ actions and keep your organisation secure.
• Assess and reassess: Evaluate the effectiveness of your training program through assessments, surveys, simulated phishing campaigns, or in-depth external analysis of your security culture. Use the results to identify areas for improvement and refine your training approach to minimise threat surfaces.

Remember that cyber security is a shared responsibility, and training employees – regularly and comprehensively - is a massive part of a successful cyber security strategy.

If you would like more information about how The Security Company can help you to train employees in common and emerging cyber security threats, or how we can help increase your organisation's awareness levels ... please contact our Head of Business Development,  Jenny Mandley.

The Security Company's vast library of customised and non-customised products and services are tailored for small, medium and large organisations and are available in a variety of languages. We also offer bespoke solutions for organisations that desire training and awareness materials built from the ground up.