Best Practices for Enhancing Cybersecurity Awareness in the Workplace

Importance of Cybersecurity Awareness in the Workplace

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, more people and businesses are using technology, increasing the risk of data loss and theft. Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and difficult to detect. The cost of cybercrime is also on the rise. In 2016, cybercrime cost the world $450 billion—an average of $12 million per hour. In 2022, things are getting even more serious. According to Fintech News, there has been a 600% uptick in cybercrimes following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cybersecurity compliance is not just about protecting the resources of your company, but also about your employees, customers, and stakeholders. It’s important to understand the serious implications and what organizations can do to tackle cyber security in the workplace.
HRM leaders have the added responsibility of ensuring that the correct cybersecurity protocols are in place. Due diligence starts right from the hiring process.


Why Does Employees' Cybersecurity Awareness Matter?

While recruiting for important roles, HR managers need to be well-acquainted with the roles and responsibilities of the job they are advertising. It is prudent to understand what type of access and authorization is required for an employee to be able to do their job and the scope of data and responsibility they are being trusted with.

“From a cyber perspective, the industry needs to ensure that the movement of digital information is regulated and monitored, protection is put in place for unauthorized access, which in turn would allow for confidentiality.”

- Tinesh Chhaya, Founder, Decipher Cyber

Your employees are using their personal devices to access company information. As workspace expands to accommodate homes and work becomes more flexible, information is more vulnerable than ever. While working from home is the need of the hour and is becoming the most popular way to work, there is an increasing need to fortify digital security. In fact, a study by Tessian suggests that 47% of employees cited distraction as the reason for falling for a phishing scam while working from home. According to Malware Bytes, remote workers are also responsible for security breaches in 20% of organizations.


3 Tips for Delivering Cybersecurity Awareness Training in Your Organization

Since employees have access to sensitive company data and customer information, it is essential to provide cybersecurity awareness training that does not jeopardize said data. Consider the case of Avast, a Czech cybersecurity firm specializing in anti-virus software solutions. In 2019, a hacker was able to compromise an employee’s VPN credentials. The attack was aimed at inserting malware into Avast’s product. Though the attack did not threaten customer data, it could have posed a major security threat to Avast’s customers and jeopardized its reputation.

“Cyber attacks are not only becoming more prevalent but also more clever in how they attempt to steal sensitive information from users.”

- Adam Cason, Vice President of Global and Strategic Alliances at Futurex

In order to protect your organization from these cyber security risks, you want to create a culture that fosters cybersecurity awareness and promotes the importance of security awareness training among employees and management alike. Here are three tips for creating a new digital culture in your organization:


Onboard New Employees With Cybersecurity Awareness Training

For a solid cybersecurity awareness culture, consider disseminating training as part of the standard onboarding process. New employees, regardless of their role, should be made aware of phishing attacks, authentication, passwords, removable media, remote working cybersecurity policies and best practices, and mobile security.


Conduct Certification in Cybersecurity Awareness

Many organizations conduct certification and annual re-certification cybersecurity training to ensure that all employees are up-to-date on the newest developments in cybersecurity as well as tools, technologies, and cyber threats they should be aware of.


Conduct Job-Oriented Training

Some of your employees may be more vulnerable than others when it comes to cyber-attacks. C-level executives are a particularly common target. Therefore, customizing your cybersecurity training based on the job role is a smart step to ensure both cybersecurity compliance and better cyber resilience among your most vulnerable employees.


Conclusion: The Proper Steps Towards Building a Highly Effective Cyber Security Culture

The first step to building a highly effective culture of cybersecurity in the workplace is to identify what needs to be protected. Then there is a need to make sure that all employees are aware of the risks and know how to protect themselves, their work, and the company’s data. This also includes informing your employees about the liabilities they will be subject to if they fail to comply with cybersecurity measures.

The third step is to make sure that all employees are trained on how cyber attacks happen, what they can do in case they get hacked, and what steps should be taken if they suspect someone else has been hacked.

Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field that requires both education and constant training to not only stay up-to-date on the latest threats, but also to be able to protect oneself from malicious cyberattacks. There’s no doubt that HR teams have a challenging task on their hands. They must optimize the HR process to address the challenges of hiring new employees while maintaining the sanctity of the company’s data.

The importance of security awareness training cannot be ignored. The tips in these articles will not only help you build a culture of awareness around cybersecurity but also reimagine your approach to attracting, hiring, and retaining talent in the light of a digitally driven world.


Frequently Asked Questions


What is the role of social media in cybersecurity?

Social media is a powerful tool for cyber security because it can be used to identify and understand the needs and wants of people. Governments and organizations can use social media to predict events, detect potential cyber threats, and prevent disasters.


What are the benefits of cyber security?

Here are some of the benefits of cyber security:
  • It protects data from being stolen or destroyed by hackers.
  • It prevents unauthorized access to computer systems or networks.
  • It protects against viruses that can compromise sensitive information.


What is phishing and how does it work?

Phishing is a type of cyber-attack that attempts to steal sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.

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