Security awareness training educates and informs individuals within an organisation about various cybersecurity risks, best practices, and procedures. Importantly, the goal of SAT is to promote a culture of security consciousness and consequently, empower individuals to recognise and respond appropriately to security incidents.

What is Security Awareness Training?

Security awareness training typically covers a wide range of topics:

1. Phishing and social engineering: Firstly, educating individuals about common techniques used by attackers is essential.
2. Password security: Additionally, it is crucial to address password security by encouraging the use of strong passwords, regular password updates, and the avoidance of password reuse across multiple accounts. For more on password security, see our article ‘Unlocking the secret to Password Security.’
3. Data protection: Moreover, data protection plays a vital role in highlighting the importance of protecting sensitive information, including personally identifiable information (PII), financial information, and intellectual property, both internally and externally.
4. Device security: Moving on to device security, providing guidelines on securing devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets is essential. Furthermore, educating individuals on the use of encryption, antivirus software, and regular software updates is crucial.
5. Physical security: In terms of physical security, raising awareness about security measures is of utmost importance. This includes secure access controls, locking mechanisms, and the proper handling of sensitive documents.
6. Social media and online safety: Additionally, social media and online safety must be addressed by educating individuals about the risks associated with sharing personal or sensitive information on social media platforms.
7. Incident reporting: Lastly, incident reporting plays a critical role in the overall security strategy. By encouraging individuals to promptly report suspicious activities or security incidents, potential threats can be addressed in a timely manner.

Why is Security Awareness Training Important?

Heightened Threat Landscape:

With the rapid advancement of technology, cybercriminals are continuously devising new methods to exploit vulnerabilities. SAT serves as a powerful tool to educate employees about these risks.

Recognising and Mitigating Risks:

Cybercriminals are continually devising new methods to exploit vulnerabilities. Therefore, security awareness training educates employees about these risks, enabling them to remain vigilant and make informed decisions.

See ‘Cybersecurity Training: Plenty of Phish in the sea’ for a full breakdown of the dangers of Phishing’

Promoting Best Practices:

SAT emphasises the adoption of best practices that strengthen an organisation’s security posture. As a result, employees learn about robust password management and regular software updates, and secure data handling.

Mitigating Human Error:

Human error remains a significant contributing factor to cybersecurity incidents. Security awareness training addresses these vulnerabilities by providing employees with the knowledge to recognise potential pitfalls, exercise caution, and follow established protocols.

The most recent Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report reveals the human element continues to be a key driver of 82% of breaches, including social attacks, errors and misuse(Source: Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report)

Creating a Security-Conscious Culture:

Finally, effective SAT initiatives foster a culture of security consciousness throughout the organisation. By emphasising the shared responsibility of cybersecurity, employees become invested in protecting sensitive information and preventing security breaches.

“83% of organisations are the victims of phishing attacks”(Source:Proofpoint – State of the Phish Report)

Explore how your business can respond in a timely and effective manner to an incident. See our article ‘Cybersecurity Incident Response: A guide for business.’

Phishing Consequences

Now SAT’s importance has been established, what are the real business costs? Here are some high-profile victims of phishing.

Google & Facebook

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Security Awareness Training: The Importance of Human Defence

Security awareness training educates and informs individuals within an organisation about various security risks, best practices, and procedures to help them understand and mitigate potential security threats. The primary goal of SAT is to promote a culture of security consciousness and consequently, empower individuals to recognise and respond to security incidents.

Why is Security Awareness Training Important?

• Heightened Threat Landscape: In the rapidly advancing technological landscape, cybercriminals are continually devising new methods to exploit vulnerabilities. Consequently, SAT becomes paramount in educating employees about these risks. By doing so, individuals can remain vigilant and make informed decisions to protect sensitive data.
• Recognising and Mitigating Risks: SAT trains individuals to identify potential risks promptly. Consequently, employees learn to spot phishing attempts, suspicious links, or dubious requests for sensitive information. This minimises the success rate of such attacks.
• Promoting Best Practices: Security awareness training emphasises the adoption of best practices that strengthen an organisation’s security posture. Employees learn about robust password management and regular software updates, as well as secure data handling and encryption.
• Mitigating Human Error: Finally, human error remains a significant contributing factor to cybersecurity incidents. Actions such as clicking on malicious links, social engineering, or mishandling sensitive data can lead to severe consequences. SAT addresses these vulnerabilities by providing employees with the knowledge to recognise potential pitfalls and follow established protocols.

Phishing Consequences

The importance of security awareness training is evident in the real-world consequences of phishing.

Google & Facebook:

Fraudster Evaldas Rimasauskas impersonated a legitimate Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Quanta and stole over $100 million from Google and Facebook. The bogus emails claimed that fake Quanta were owed for their goods and services carried out by actual Quanta. As a result, Google and Facebook unwittingly paid the bogus Quanta, depositing money into accounts run by Rimasauskas. According to the US Department of Justice, the tech giants had fallen victim to a sophisticated fraud:

“Forged invoices, contracts, and letters that falsely appeared to have been executed and signed by executives and agents of the Victim Companies. Which bore false corporate stamps embossed with the Victim Companies’ names, were used in furtherance of the fraudulent scheme orchestrated by Evaldas Rimasauskas, the defendant. Rimasaukas caused these fraudulent documents to be submitted to banks in support of the large volume of funds that were being transmitted via wire transfer into the [Facebook] bank accounts.”

Both Google and Facebook alerted the authorities and managed to recoup their losses.

Belgian Bank Crelan:

Belgian Bank Crelan was the victim of CEO fraud, which resulted in losses of €70 million. This type of fraud typically involves compromising a CEO’s email account or creating a convincing fake account. A fraudulent email is sent to a finance employee, ordering a payment to be made to their bank account. Furthermore, the payment order will come with a reason for immediate execution and non-disclosure from other employees. Finally, the employee will process the payment.

FACC:

Austrian aerospace manufacturer FACC was the victim of CEO fraud, which resulted in losses of €42 million. The CEO and CFO of FACC were both forced to resign as a result of the incident.

If you wish to understand how executives can better protect themselves and their business, see our article ‘C Level Cybersecurity Practices: A Guide’

Conclusion:

In summary, as cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, organisations cannot solely rely on advanced technology and security systems. Therefore, SAT is an essential component of a comprehensive defence strategy. By providing employees with the necessary knowledge, organisations can create a security-conscious workforce. One capable of mitigating risks, safeguarding sensitive information, and contributing to the overall resilience of the organisation.

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