You may have beefed up your software to improve data security, but have you put the same effort into your employees?
Cyber criminals go for the easiest port of entry into your network, and human error is at the top of their list. That’s why phishing emails continue to be the main delivery method for viruses and malware.
Neglecting data security is not an option in today’s technology-driven world, and any good security plan includes both security applications, like next-generation firewalls, and ongoing staff security training to stay aware of threats.
Technology Visionaries provides free security assessments to help organizations evaluate their current cybersecurity plan and identify any areas that need improvement. Our multi-layered approach to network and data security for our clients ensures all bases are covered, both tech and human.
One area that is often overlooked is ongoing security awareness training. It teaches your staff to understand the importance of security, compliance regulations for data privacy, and how to avoid falling prey to data breach attempts through malicious emails or links.
Just one mistaken click on a dangerous email can let a virus or ransomware script in the door. Keeping your human security as strong as your technology security is vital to ensuring your network is safe from breaches.
Why Is Staff Security Awareness Training Important?
The cost of a data breach keeps increasing each year, which makes a complete network security plan a necessary priority for any sized business.
The average cost for each lost data file is $148. (NBC News)
According to an IBM Security study on the costs of data breaches, the financial damage caused by a breach is an average of $3.86 million per company or about $148 per lost record. If you have just 5,000 customer data records stolen, that’s $740,000, quite a hit.
Major causes of data breaches include:
- Unpatched security vulnerabilities
- Human error
- Malware
- Insider misuse
- Theft of data-carrying device
Training your staff on proper data security greatly reduces your risk of a data breach and the related costs.
Here are 6 Critical Reasons Your Staff Needs Cybersecurity Training
When our Managed Services Team at Technology Visionaries is called out to help with data breach recovery, we always recommend and help implement steps to keep a breach from happening again. One of our strong recommendations is conducting regular (not one-time only) staff security awareness.
Here are the reasons you’ll want to make this a part of your company’s IT security plan.
Data Privacy Compliance
Data privacy regulations are only becoming stronger, and if you do business internationally you’re subject to even more rules, regulations, and non-compliance fines.
A new staff member might be taking a customer’s credit card information over the phone for a sale, but not know how to properly dispose of the paper they wrote their details on. One small slip up can expose sensitive customer information.
A well-trained team means your customers’ data is handled properly and your business stays in compliance with data privacy laws.
Stop a Majority of Viruses and Cyber Attacks
Did you know that 91% of cyber attacks start with a phishing email? (Digital Guardian). They’re designed specifically to trick human beings into clicking on the malicious attachment or link inside in order to release a malicious script into your network.
By having your staff trained on good email safety practices, such as hovering over a link to reveal the true URL before clicking it, you can thwart a significant number of malicious attacks that are coming via the email inbox.
Maintain Customer Trust
If your customers see that your employees put an emphasis on data security, especially THEIR data, they’ll have more trust in your company as a whole and feel good about doing business with you.
A well-trained team following good security protocols makes a difference in your business reputation, just as a poorly trained one can as well.
Boost Staff Moral
Being unsure how to handle customer or corporate data and not having a safety protocol to follow means less confident employees. No one wants to be afraid that they could cause a data breach.
When your team knows exactly what to do when it comes to handling things like work records stored on mobile devices or data being transmitted to a customer, they’ll feel more confident.
Increase Overall Security
You’ll find that staff trained on the protocols for cybersecurity will also be more careful about office security overall. Tips like using secure passwords for logins, can also translate into strong passcodes to enter the building.
Security awareness training is great overall as a way to protect your assets, both digital and physical.
Increase Overall Productivity
Data breaches, viruses, and security incidents all cost time, money, and bring productivity down. Just by having a regular quarterly IT security training and a security plan in place you can greatly reduce downtime and boost overall productivity.
Schedule a Staff IT Security Training Today!
Does your team know how to identify the latest phishing email scams? Would you like to have more peace of mind knowing your office data security was in good hands at all times?
Technology Visionaries can do an engaging and educational staff training to significantly lower your risk of a data breach. Let’s get one scheduled today! Call 732-587-5960 or contact us today!