In any industry, staying safe should be the main priority of a leader and team members alike. This is why many companies invest in employee safety training, ensuring their staff knows what they should do in order to perform their daily duties comfortably and effectively. However, not all of them do, and because of this, employees can end up suffering injuries that turn their lives upside down.
The latest data shows that in 2023-2024, around 1.7 million UK employees reported suffering from work-related conditions, and among them, 604,000 sustained non-fatal injuries. According to https://www.accidentclaimslawyers.co.uk/, employees are entitled to claim compensation after such an incident, and this can have dire consequences for companies, hurting their bottom line. Any business with strong ethics knows that employees’ wellbeing isn’t an afterthought, but a priority, so they invest in occupational safety because they want a thriving workforce.
But here’s the thing: while most companies think of equipment safety when it comes to training employees, online security shouldn’t be overlooked, especially in today’s digital era. Any modern training program should incorporate cybersecurity as a way to ensure that employees won’t get into trouble online, thus protecting employees as well as the organization as a whole. If you want to learn how to bolster your first line of defence – aka your employees – against cyber threats, you’re in the right place. Below, we deliver our 7-step cybersecurity training roadmap, so read on!
Develop watertight cybersecurity policies
Cybersecurity training starts with comprehensive security policies on handling confidential information, password management, incident response, and remote work, among other things. Security awareness training should cover your team’s knowledge of security policies, but keep in mind that it’s not enough to rely on one-time testing. Further meetings are required to discuss policies, and it’s paramount to test their knowledge yearly to make sure that they stay on top of policy requirements.
Also, policies don’t really mean much if they are just documents, so aim to make them part of daily professional practice instead. For instance, you can make them available in a central library where everyone on the team can easily access them.
Strengthen password security
When passwords are weak and not changed frequently, it leaves businesses vulnerable to security threats. This is why it’s paramount to practice good password hygiene. But don’t just assume your team members understand password risks because they most likely don’t. In fact, it’s common for people to reuse passwords across accounts, and up to 80% of data breaches happen because passwords are stolen.
However, this can all be avoided if you assign passwords to employees and rotate them regularly. Also, make sure to teach your team to use robust passwords and add multi-factor authentication to network logins as an additional layer of security.
Teach employees to spot cybersecurity threats
Cybersecurity training won’t turn your employees into technical experts overnight, but it can still go a long way in raising awareness and protecting sensitive data. Well-trained workers can identify cyber threats and know what they need to mitigate them. So, make sure to train them to spot fake websites, email phishing, insecure document transmission, and the risks of using unsecured public Wi-Fi.
Real-life examples can be very helpful to this end, and the sessions could include unexpected device slow-downs, visual material on pop-ups, or unrequested browser extensions. However, perhaps the most important part of employee training is to discuss the consequences of cyber threats and the importance of following security policies – this way, you will create a human firewall that will be prepared to respond effectively if they ever deal with attackers.
Emphasize the importance of data backups
Data belongs to the organization, and you need to emphasize this to employees. Backups are necessary to avoid loss if there’s a cyber attack or device failure, so make sure to encourage your team to use cloud storage solutions offered by the company or external drives. Make sure they understand they should never use their personal devices.
Consider offering information on setting up automatic backups with software programs, as this will ensure that employees won’t have to intervene manually all the time to make sure that the data is always backed up.
Have authorization and access management systems in place
Authorization and authentication technology are very useful tools that can shield cloud-hosted apps and central data centres, so every organization should leverage them. However, it’s imperative to train employees in adequate access security practices. For example, they should never share work devices with people outside of work (not even with colleagues) without authorization, let alone write down authentication codes or passwords.
In many instances, workers complain about the fact that authorization systems are time-consuming, but it’s essential to explain to them why VPNs and MFA are imperative – as soon as they understand what is really at stake, your team members will prioritize adopting safe access routines.
Prioritize email security
Email is another essential weak point in your company's cybersecurity, so it’s imperative to help employees identify potential threats such as links to suspicious sites and phishing attempts. If needed, you can test their knowledge through a phishing simulation that essentially involves generating false social engineering emails. These simulations work because they prove users can tell dangerous messages apart from authentic business communications.
Suppose employees use email to send sensitive data; it’s essential to ensure that they use email encryption and VPNs to safeguard this information. At the same time, you should test their knowledge of “sensitive data” because many email users transmit confidential data through unsecure personal accounts, but that can be prevented as long as they understand how to classify information.
Make regular updates to your cybersecurity training program
Cybersecurity awareness training should be a long-term commitment, and this is because only 10% of employees remember everything they learned – the rest of them likely tend to go back to previous habits, such as using unsafe passwords.
This is why it’s imperative to refresh cybersecurity training. Many businesses think they need a lot of money to do this, but that’s not the case. If you approach it right, cybersecurity awareness training can cost virtually nothing. For example, different resources are available for free, such as the 6 hours of training provided by the Cisco Networking Academy, which covers all essential aspects. However, there are also podcasts about security awareness, which can be another excellent resource.
The bottom line
With cyber threats becoming increasingly sophisticated, it’s essential to train your employees about the risks and how to protect sensitive data. Effective cybersecurity awareness is all about clear communication and ongoing education, so make sure your company stays safe by taking the right measures and encouraging vigilance.
