22 Oct 4 Reasons why Security Awareness Training is very important
Back in 2018 data breaches cost UK organisations an average of £6.4 million.
Human error, meanwhile, accounted from anywhere between 60% and 90% of them.
Those facts alone are usually enough to convince people security awareness training is very important.
Usually….
As a Managed Service Provider, we can only advise our Client base of the benefits of why they need to introduce Security Awareness Training.
1. To prevent Data breaches and cyber attacks
Starting with the most obvious, security awareness training helps prevent data breaches.
The precise number of breaches security awareness training prevents is difficult to count. In an ideal world, we’d be able to run a controlled trial in which the exact same people working for the exact same company were divided into two groups: a control and a test group. The latter would be given training, the former would not. The two could then be compared to see the difference in knowledge.
Such situation is almost impossible – but that doesn’t mean advanced security awareness training providers are unable to demonstrate the ROI of security awareness software. Although an imperfect measure, it’s possible to measure the incidence and prevalence of breaches pre- and post-awareness campaigns and use the resulting metrics to glean an indication of ROI.
This is your first line of defence. If someone wants to access your device, they will first need to break this code. This is not an easy task, and can operate as a deterrent against theft. Some device manufacturers have an option to automatically wipe your device after a few unsuccessful attempts at your pass code or pin; so, even if your phone is stolen, your information cannot be accessed. For this reason, you should consider mobile device management for your users.
2. To influence company culture in security
A culture of security has long been seen as the holy grail for chief information security officers. Equally, such a culture is seen as notoriously difficult to achieve.
With the aid of security awareness training, some are heading in the right direction to gain this credible reputation.
By keeping an eye on indicators of culture, advanced security awareness training platforms can actually help security professionals monitor, nurture and develop a culture of security – making their people a proactive defence.
3. To make technological defences stronger
Technological defences are, clearly, a valuable weapon in preventing breaches. But technological defences require input from people. Firewalls need to be turned onto maximum security. Security warnings need to be acknowledged. Software needs to be constantly updated.
Few businesses today would dream of operating without technological defences. And yet, without security awareness training, technological defences are not used anywhere near their full potential.
To make matters worse, attackers today rarely bother attempting to penetrate businesses through purely technological means. Today’s attackers typically prefer to target people, who are sceptical but suffer from accidental clicking & lack of knowledge.
4. GDPR compliance
To be clear, compliance alone is no reason to introduce security awareness training. Those who introduce training solely to comply with regulations are heading for trouble.
But more and more regulators are demanding specific industries implement security awareness training throughout the entire Business.
Compliance can be a happy offshoot of security awareness training. Those who introduce it become more secure and, in many industries, meet a regulatory requirement to be secure & protected.
We’re Urban Network, we can help save your Business.
We specialise in managed IT & technology services to help businesses across London & the wider-South East, from our base in Wapping, East London.
Urban Network has a proven track record, with extensive experience and a full portfolio of industry accreditations & certifications.
Among our range of skills, we have a specialism in cyber security. Ensuring we aid our clients with employing the best & most appropriate security practices, procedures and tools to protect their sensitive data.
If you have any concerns or challenges with your cyber security, or with your technology generally, we would like to hear from you. Please contact the team today.