Despite numerous solutions and preventative software, cyber threats continue to plague companies. One of the largest factors in data breaches is from within employees. It’s often human error that leads to the majority of security breaches and cyber-attacks. Luckily, an employee awareness training program can help alleviate this problem.

What to Include in Your Employee Awareness Training

Employee awareness training has to do with creating both a better understanding of cybersecurity threats and how to handle them. The ultimate goal is to allow your team to identify potential risks before they become serious. Not only does preparing your team lead to better security procedures, but it also can reduce security costs as well.

4 Topics to Discuss When Implementing Awareness Training

Improving your cybersecurity work culture and educating your team can lead to a drastic decrease in breaches. Here are four important topics to discuss when implementing an employee awareness training program:

1. Phishing – Phishing deals with a threat actor portraying a reputable brand or entity. They typically use an email with a link or image attached that can extract information such as login details or personal information. It’s important to not only discuss this topic but also ways to identify phishing. Some clues that can cue in a phishing message versus a legitimate one include misspelled or suspicious URLs, the use of a public email address versus a corporate one, or a poorly written message with clear grammatical errors.
2. Proper passwords – While it may seem obvious, it’s important to discuss creating a proper password or set of passwords with each member of your team. Many passwords are too simple and feature words that are easy to identify. Discussing options on how to strengthen passwords, such as using a password manager, is a simple conversation that can lead to an increased cybersecurity presence and more employee responsibility.
3. Working from home – It’s one thing to have a proper awareness of cyber threats at a place of work. Things are different if your team works from home or has the option to work in a hybrid environment. Protecting what’s important from the comfort of home matters, and there are digital vulnerabilities all over. It’s important to discuss good habits and things to consider for a digital workforce, as there is more information and data that is shared remotely that could be breached.
4. Two-factor authentication – Two-factor authentication is a security access management solution that requires two methods of identity verification. This typically involves both a password and a trusted device: for example, a code is sent to a device that must be inputted for the user to log in and access certain data. Discussing how two-factor authentication works, as well as why it’s important, is a vital part of awareness training and should be included in every program.

Cyber threats aren’t going away anytime soon. Luckily, there’s a process to being better prepared for what’s to come. Third Wave Innovations is here to help you protect what matters. Let’s take the first steps together.