“Cyberattack” has been in our lexicon since the 1990s. The term is familiar, but also vague. As a result, some small business owners dismiss cyberthreats as irrelevant, thinking they have nothing to steal. Others come to us wanting to act, but unsure of where to start or what the real threat is to their organization.
Cybercriminals Want Your Cash
Every business has money, making every organization a potential target. If you’re thinking This is why I pay an IT professional, Stop. You need more business protection than basic firewalls and security platforms. It only takes one click from one email to destroy everything.
Software your IT provider installs accounts for about 10% of your business protection plan. Actions taken by you and your team members make up the other 90%.
But, it’s hard to mitigate risk if you don’t know what attacks look like. Cybersecurity training on the 8 topics outlined below fills this gap. Read through each one to see how training will prepare and protect your organization.
1. The Latest Phishing Scams
Phishing scams include fraudulent emails that look like legitimate requests, making annual cybersecurity training a key step to protect your business against cybercriminals. Your employees need to know the tactics—like phishing— used and how to spot them. Knowledge is power in this case, and some of the cyber criminals are getting pretty good.
Word to the Wise: Yahoo is a popular domain choice.
2. The Anatomy of an Attack
In training sessions, an IT professional will unpack a REAL ransomware email. That exercise will help your team see what happens, how it happens and what the end result could be. A virus can easily infect your system after one click on a malicious link.
3. Ransomware – To Pay or Not To Pay?
The FBI will tell you never to pay a ransom if your files get corrupted. The more practical answer is “It depends.” There are some business scenarios that make the answer much grayer. Training will help you determine what to do in the event of an attack and what the likely outcomes can be.
4. Social Media Usage
When it comes to social media, employees must be mindful of what they’re sharing. Information employees publish on social media platforms can be a security risk for their personal lives and your business. So many times we give away information freely that makes our lives more convenient or fun – and we may be putting ourselves at risk by doing so.
Word to the Wise: Be careful not to give away answers to security questions in your online posts. You would never do it on purpose – but it’s likely you’ve done it anyway.
5. Personal Information on Your Website
You may not be tempted to post personal information on social media, but what about your website? Having staff bio pages personalizes your company, but can also be an information treasure trove for cybercriminals (and recruiters, if we’re being honest). You need to strike a balance between being personable without giving away too much about yourself or your team.
6. Dealing with Threats on Mobile Devices
Phishing attacks are not confined to workstations. When we do phishing simulations, a large majority of clicks originate from mobile devices. It’s harder to use traditional threat detection methods – like hovering over a link – on smartphones. Knowing the other signs of phishing attacks will keep your team safe.
7. Are You Prepared for Evolving Threats?
Fighting cybercriminals is like playing Whac-a-Mole. You squash one threat, and another pops up elsewhere. As long as cybercriminals can gain from stolen information, they will alter their tactics to circumvent security measures. To navigate this terrain, you need to be familiar with how methods like conversation hijacking, spear phishing and cryptocurrency mining work. Cybersecurity training quickly provides a comprehensive overview of the current threat landscape and tells you the actions you need to take to protect your business.
Word to the Wise: To stay on top of threats, conduct training at least annually and keep abreast of the latest tactics.
8. Password Policies and Password Management
If you haven’t changed your password in years, go do that right now. But don’t make it “Password123” or store it in an Excel or Word document. Weak passwords and unsecure management are the most common mistakes we see. Cybersecurity training explains what you should be doing, including recommendations and requirements of what makes a good password and how to remember them all.
Accelerate Cybersecurity Training: 90 Minutes to Protect Your Business
In about an hour to an hour and a half, we can make a significant impact on the way your team views security. This training is appropriate for all employees and is not technical in nature. During our face-to-face training, our team delves into the why behind the best practices your team needs to become proactive against cybersecurity threats. The training consists of a presentation and an interactive Q&A session. We guarantee your team will quickly begin using a computer differently and approach their personal protection and the protection of your business very differently the same day.
To learn more about cybersecurity training or schedule a session for your team, call us at 317.596.3650 or reach out online.