5 Key Areas to be Included in a Security Awareness Training Program

The Cyber Security Review | Monday, January 25, 2021

When tailoring a cybersecurity training program, it is important to ensure that it covers the cyber threats that an organization is likely to face.

FREMONT, CA: People live in a digital world, where an increasing amount of day-to-day activities have migrated online. People work, communicate, conduct commerce, interact online, and their reliance on cybersecurity has accelerated increasingly. Cyber-criminals can effortlessly wreak havoc on lives and businesses. The increased use of the internet and mobile gives them more opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities. Fortunately, an enterprise can initiate processes to help mitigate the impacts of cyber-crime, starting with the essential first step of raising cybersecurity awareness. Here is outlines of the most important security awareness topics to be included in a security awareness program.

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• Email Scams

Phishing attacks are the common method that cybercriminals use to get access to an enterprise’s network. They use human nature to trick their target into falling for the scam by providing some incentive or creating a sense of urgency. Phishing awareness should be a component of any security awareness training program. This should include instances of common and relevant phishing emails and tips for detecting attempted attacks.

• Malware

Malware is essentially malicious software that cyber fraudsters utilize to steal sensitive and confidential data or cause damage an enterprise's systems. It can be offered to an organization in several ways, like drive-by downloads, phishing emails, and malicious removable media. Employee security awareness training on malware should cover usual delivery methods, threats, and effects to the organization. 

• Password Security

Passwords are the most significant and easiest-to-use authentication system in existence. Most employees have many online accounts that are accessed by offering a username and a password. Poor password security is one of the significant threats to modern enterprise security.

• Removable Media

Removable media are a useful tool for cybercriminals since they allow malware to bypass an organization’s network-based security defenses. Malware can be deployed on the media and configured to automatically perform with Autorun or entice filename to trick employees into clicking. Malicious removable media can steal data, install ransomware or even damage the computer they’re inserted into.

• Safe Internet Habits

Almost every worker, particularly in tech, has access to the internet. For this reason, the secure use of the internet is of prime importance for companies. Security training programs should incorporate safe internet habits that limit attackers from penetrating the corporate network.

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