How Cybersecurity Training Ensures your Firm’s Safety

There is a simple, yet persuasive, argument for training all your employees on cybersecurity: it teaches them to recognise potential security threats, shows how they can be avoided and how they should report, or deal with any issues as they arise.

Employees should receive training for cybersecurity in order to protect themselves, and the company, against potential cyber-attacks which may make you vulnerable to cyber criminals, security breaches or malware.

Educating your staff can reduce or eliminate the occurrence of human error when dealing with cyber security threats as staff are trained to recognise potential risks, and how to deal with them.

Why Offer Cybersecurity Training

The UAE has been listed among the top five countries most likely to be a target for cyber criminals which means it is less a case of ‘will’ your firm be a target, and more a case of ‘when’.

There is no firm, or organisation, that isn’t at risk from potential cyber threats, so the only way to protect your company is through cybersecurity training.

Ensure the training you choose covers some of the following points, and check for legal insights and case studies which can help trainees to evaluate real-life cyber threats and prove more memorable, even after training.

Look for training that includes:

• Cyber threats & crime
• Protecting information from threats
• Keeping client and the business information safe and secure
• Case examples
• Prevention & protection
• IT resilience
• Legal frameworks: International & local GCC laws

The Best Cybersecurity Training

All cybersecurity training courses are not created equal.

While the purpose behind them may be the same, the content and structure of courses will vary widely depending upon trainers, courses and cost.

The best cybersecurity training will teach employees how to alter their habits online, monitor their own behaviour, and give them a sense of shared responsibility and accountability for security.

Likewise, one-off training courses will give all of this information to trainees in a single session, but to really get the most benefit from cybersecurity training it is often necessary to run refresher courses, and updates for specific new advances.

It is worth considering the following points when offering cybersecurity training to employees:

• Make cybersecurity training mandatory – this should ideally be completed for each new employee and incorporated into introduction packages and programs. Where possible incorporate cybersecurity guidelines into company policies with set rules regarding online safety, data protection (GDPR), and internet use. Don’t forget to include all existing employees alongside new ones.

• Update cybersecurity training regularly – the best way to ensure your firm’s online safety is to help your employees form good habits around cybersecurity. Repetition is key to forming good habits, so ensuring you offer frequent updates, courses and training is vital. Continuous training will allow you to incorporate elements of cybersecurity into your company policies, help staff stay abreast of new developments and scams, while also ensuring that these elements are part of their daily awareness.

• Cybersecurity rewards – are a good idea for increasing awareness, motivation and enthusiasm among staff. Try offering incentives for those employees who really embrace their training and cybersecurity responsibilities, and ensure all training is relevant, interesting and specific.

If you would like any advice on cybersecurity training for your employees, or discuss how we can help protect your firm from cyber-attacks, please contact the experts at Creative Word Training.