Employee education is among the top priorities for small to midsize businesses (SMBs), according to the latest CompTIA State of Cybersecurity research report. Nearly half of SMBs surveyed consider training team members to detect and deflect cyberthreats to be on par with other essential measures such as implementing the newest technology tools and executing incident response procedures.
Why is cybersecurity education so important?
- Consistent education reinforces a culture of vigilance in your organization
- Regular training strengthens your first line of defense against cybercrime—your users
- A cybersecurity savvy workforce produces competitive advantage as your company minimizes and mitigates operational disruptions
To support you on this education mission, we gleaned these five training tips from
Security magazine that can help you shore up your cyberdefenses:
- Ground your program in established standards and validated practices. We recommend the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) as excellent resources for this pursuit.
- Set a consistent cadence for your program. The breadth and depth of information necessary to foster and sustain a culture of “cyber resiliency” varies from company to company and industry to industry. But the requirement to refine, refresh and reiterate cybersecurity knowledge within your team does not.
- Offer in-person and online education options. Today, most businesses operate in hybrid work environments, with employees operating in the office, at remote locations or a mix of both. Be sure to develop and deliver hybrid cybersecurity training to match your configuration.
- Begin instruction with the “why.” Communicate the urgency of vigilance and diligence by providing context from current events and recent research that demonstrates the reasons why sound cybersecurity practices must extend beyond the IT department.
- Fortify knowledge with testing. Learning accelerates when principle is put into practice. Build teaching techniques like quizzes, simulations and role playing into your program.
Need a hand implementing these tips? We have the expertise to help.