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Every modern workplace requires cybersecurity training in order for the business to grow faster, as well as become and remain a secure organization. This is especially true within a rapidly changing workforce with increased digital needs.
Many technological advancements can help both small and large businesses to improve productivity and efficiency. However, these same technological advancements also leave organizations vulnerable to more advanced forms of cyberattacks – from social engineering attacks to security breaches done by malicious hackers.
Ransomware viruses, data breaches, DoS (denial-of-service), and many other cybersecurity attacks are responsible for company losses – up to billions of dollars, each year. Unfortunately, these problems are not going away anytime soon. This means that cybersecurity training is crucial in any business looking to protect itself from possible attackers and its sustainability. It requires active steps to manage its technology better.
Various companies are on the constant lookout for cybersecurity specialists, often to no avail. Demand for cybersecurity professionals is growing faster than people can train for available roles.
This makes it the best time for any individual to train for a career in cybersecurity or a company to teach its employees about it. Cybersecurity training programs and courses are accessible to all at any time; all an individual needs is time and dedication.
Cybersecurity Basics
Cybersecurity, also known as computer security, is becoming more and more significant due to the reliance on computer systems, the internet, and various other wireless networks (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth).
To sum it up, cybersecurity basics represent steps needed to protect vital information from any possible attack or damage to software, hardware, and data. Critical data can be hacked. The hacker might be someone you know personally, or it might be someone completely anonymous.
Hackers
There are two types of hacker categories, the white-hat, and black-hat hackers.
White-hat hackers, or ethical hackers, are people you know. They test for vulnerabilities and loopholes in your system. Companies tend to hire these individuals to find security flaws that they can fix.
Black-hat hackers are anonymous and hack into systems to profit from the company’s information, or maybe even for fun or revenge. The information in question can be anything from an individual’s bank details, email access, and other sensitive data – such as confidential company details, access to a secure server, etc.
Data Breaches
Just looking at the news and surveys of the last few years will reveal vast numbers of damaging data breaches. These data breaches exposed everything from Social Security Numbers, work history, credit cards, and other sensitive data.
Not only do data breaches cause obstacles to businesses, they are also currently and actively getting harder and harder to diagnose. These days, it can take companies around 190-200 days on average to determine if there is a data breach in the system, along with at least approximately 60 days to contain and stop it.
Cybersecurity training is becoming more and more crucial in any business. Organizations and their employees should always be prepared to prevent these risks and stay aware of possible attacks.
So, exactly what problems do data breaches cause? How damaging can they be for businesses and their growth?
What makes data breaches so catastrophic is that they’re getting harder and harder to diagnose. Additionally, they are also becoming harder and harder to contain. Business insurance costs alone can be highly problematic and cause huge downtime to occur when they only cover some small-scale risks.
Aside from the downtime, it can also cause companies to experience legal interventions when nothing is done to protect the clients’ sensitive information.
Regulatory data compliance is a serious issue in many industries. It demands full attention from individuals with business systems access. Along with that, employees are rarely adequately trained to protect themselves and sensitive data when they access certain company assets.
Open Source
To become relevant, countless businesses and organizations, both big and small, are rapidly transitioning to cloud infrastructures. Therefore, providing customers with an overall better experience.
For the most part, the internet runs mainly on open-source software, maintained by volunteers who have no formal rules for code review. Therefore, all plans depend on the interests, expertise, and availability of unpaid members. This means that security systems running on open-source software are always open to hidden and devastating bugs lurking in open-source frameworks.
Coders cannot constantly secure websites, so Open Source is essential for individuals and businesses. The volunteers who build and maintain open-source projects deserve praise, but can also be a serious risk.
Cybersecurity training removes the blind expectation of volunteer-based security and interoperability and implements knowledge to keep projects safe.
Internet-Of-Things
The IoT developments, short for Internet-of-Things, offer near-limitless capabilities to a variety of companies, allowing them to incorporate intelligent wireless technologies into their workspace.
Before the IoT, most companies operated on very restricted technology, primarily basic servers with poor remote-access connectivity. Now businesses have more flexibility than ever before thanks to the seamlessly connected devices and technology, but it means that possible attackers have better access to sensitive information and critical systems.
Automated Data Manipulation
With the help of system exploits and phishing scams, as well as the use of artificial intelligence, it has never been easier for passwords to become compromised. Aside from artificial intelligence, hackers also use other automated software programs to funnel information about their targets. Additionally, they can cause unrecognized data breaches, resulting in damage that can be irreparable for months and possibly even years.
Employees and Risks
Most employees are unaware of risks and possible attacks. Furthermore, they are usually the primary targets for hackers. Rather than trying to breach networks or systems through external means, most hackers find it a lot easier to pose as authorized members of a company. They can inflict damage from the inside – usually undetected.
Some surveys indicate that employees do not feel obligated to keep their employer’s information safe, and are not interested in cybersecurity training. Therefore, it is the company’s job to take care of cybersecurity training, as well as find ways to motivate their employees to create a better and safer working environment.
Educating Your Employees
For most company leaders, it makes sense that the majority of cybersecurity training rests on the IT team’s shoulders. However, it is crucial that all employees engage in defending an organization from outside intruders.
It is vital for your business to regularly educate your employees about the current online dangers and how to mitigate them successfully.
Policy Implementation
An effective way to minimize business risks is to create cybersecurity policies for employees. It is best to have policies that are regularly updated. Consistent attention to policy implementation will encourage compliance standards.
Regular Testing
Employees taking part in regular cybersecurity training will increase any company’s security. Cybersecurity training can ensure that employees are actively pursuing best practices to support the company. Employees will be empowered to react to security threats with confidence throughout daily operations, and to maximize productivity levels.
Pros And Cons of Cyber Security
Through cybersecurity, you’ll gain access to a variety of benefits. With cybersecurity, any company will be able to protect its system against viruses, worms, spyware, and other unwanted programs, as well as data breaches and hacking.
Aside from that, proper knowledge of cybersecurity will also protect your computers from freezing and crashing, as well as provide privacy to users and clients.
All that said, cybersecurity measures must be applied correctly in order to function. If firewalls aren’t configured properly, it might block users from performing certain actions on the internet. Firewalls, in general, can be challenging to configure without expertise. You will also constantly need to update software to keep your security up to date.
If you want to ensure your organization’s cybersecurity knowledge and skill sets are at the highest level, the i4 Group is at your disposal. They have the resources to help you cover all the topics related to cybersecurity, from security awareness training to full cybersecurity employee training – eliminating all weak links in your security systems.
