Essentials For Choosing A Cyber Security Awareness Training Program

A cyber security awareness program is critical to your organisation. But, at first you may not know what you are looking for. In this blog, we discuss the key features of a good security awareness training program and the benefits this can have for your business. 

Why Should I Look Into A Security Awareness Program?

If you are reading this, you are likely interested in, or already actively looking into a security awareness program, but establishing the benefits up front is always positive. More than 40% of data breaches are caused by the end-user, therefore implementing an awareness program is the most effective way to reduce the likelihood of a breach. 

The following are just some of the main features you should look for when trying to implement a Security Awareness Training platform in your business. 

1. Focus on Usability 

Topics for a security awareness program should be approachable for everyone in the organisation, and relate to a variety of the main risk factors. Making sure you are using a platform that works both for the IT manager, and employee's is critical. This generally means automation, integrating and syncing users automatically to easier manage the process. 

2. Security Awareness Training That Proves User Awareness Improves Over Time

The next, and most important to prove, is that your security program is actually delivering the results that you need. Most likely, there will need to be some focus on phishing attacks, as this accounts for 95% of all security breaches. Ensuring that your program is giving enough attention to the areas which cause the most breaches is a key factor in having an effective security program. 

A good program will therefore include tasks for your users to complete, and some form of measuring this, whether through quizzes, reports or risk scores. This way, the effectiveness of the program can be proven, and employee's who underperform can be helped with more education. 

3. It is Measurable and Achievable for the skill level of your organisation. 

Some organisations will require less training than others, perhaps they are less IT based, or already have a high IT skill level in the organisation. It is important to understand where you are as an organisation to understand what Security Awareness training program will suit your needs. However, Remember, even small mistakes can lead to big problems when we are talking cyber-security. So, it's probably best to set the standard high.

4. It is Educational and Enjoyable for the user

Although you may not be too interested in how enjoyable your employee's find their training course, they will be. Great content will ensure that the end-user both learns the right things and retains that information.

The problem with having effective training is that many end-users do not see it as relevant to their job, and therefore don't take cyber-security as seriously as they should. Ensuring that you have an enjoyable, as well as educational training program drastically improves your chances of engaging your end users and therefore them retaining that information. 

5. Email Phishing Simulator Functionality

Another vital part of a high tier security awareness training program is the ability to launch simulated phishing attacks. This functionality is key as it addresses the main attack vector that most businesses face, Phishing. 

If end-users are not aware of phishing attacks, your business will be vulnerable to the most commonly used hack. According to a recent study, 95% of British people are unable to recognise a phishing attack. The ability to launch simulated phishes as part of your security awareness program, keeps this attack close to mind.

Choosing a Security Awareness Training Program That Makes Sense

Using the above steps, it's important to look into a security awareness program that fits the needs of your business. Whether a start-up, SMB or large enterprise, you'll need to take the steps to ensure that your employee's receive training that provides value by reducing your risk. Security Awareness training is necessary as it is a proven way to reduce your cyber-risk, up to 70% according to a recent repot. 

Here at usecure, we offer a simple to use platform that makes managing your end-point security simple. By combining high-quality, regular automated training with phishing simulation technology, email exposure checks and policy management software, we provide an all-in-one platform to manage your end-user security. 

Why not see what we can do for your business, by signing up for a totally free 14-day trial of our platform. Or, simply click the link below to get started.