Cyber security training – a must for ensuring the security of the organization

Cyber security training – a must for ensuring the security of the organization

In the context of the rapid growth and diversification of computer attacks, an untrained and uninformed personnel puts any organization at risk. For this reason, more and more companies are now turning to cyber security training for their staff.

The reason is obvious – the low level of employee training makes them vulnerable to sophisticated phishing attacks, automated hacking tools or AI-based social engineering techniques. As proof, almost three quarters (74%*) of the IT security breaches recorded in 2023 were based on the human factor. Moreover, poor user education regarding cyber hygiene is also shown as a cause in the more than 80 advanced analyzes for critical security incidents conducted by Safetech in 2023. Details in the article: Essential recommendations for successfully preventing a cyber security incident.

In addition, the obligation to perform employee cyber security training is an explicit requirement of regulations such as the NIS Directive or the ISO 27001 standard.

How can you act for educating and training your employees?

With a proper and systematic training program, organizations will lessen this risk factor, bringing it under control.

The first step in the action plan is to ensure that your employees are aware of the cyber threats to which they are exposed and which the organization faces. For this, it is necessary to clearly communicate, at the level of the entire organization, the existing security risks, but also the damages that can be generated by their exploitation.

In addition, you must continuously update the information provided to your staff regarding new types of attacks, malware, phishing attempts, etc., as they arise, and recommended prevention or avoidance solutions.

However, the theoretical approach is not enough. To acquire the necessary skills, your employees need repeated simulation exercises built on real cyber attack scenarios. Periodic testing is critical so that the personnel can become familiar with identifying types of threats and appropriate response methods. Training exercises are mandatory, and for this your IT security professionals must be able to simulate cyber attacks as realistically as possible on all departments. The analysis of the results allows the identification of the weak points, respectively the areas in which it is necessary to insist. With the help of simulations you can identify:

• The staff who are still unable to apply the appropriate detection and response methods, to whom you will provide the necessary cyber security training,
• The departments and/or categories of employees that need changes in training methods,
• The deficiencies of the test scenarios, but also the errors or omissions of the existing security policies,
• The level of compliance with the applicable regulations.

The results must be communicated to the end users, to increase their awareness and involvement in the training process. But be careful – the process must be two-way. You need feedback from your staff, to identify existing ambiguities and adjust training procedures according to emerging requirements.

For optimal results, it is recommended that you pursue cybersecurity education early on for new hires. By communicating early the fact that IT protection is a shared responsibility within the organization, the security procedures and policies, and the methods of responding to threats, both the awareness and training process is facilitated.

Last but not least, the assumption of cyber security at the level of the organizational culture is a key element. This requires the active involvement of top and operational management in the mentioned processes.