3 Ways to Create an Effective Employee Cybersecurity Training Program

Employees who are not experienced with computers and programming have many misconceptions about cybersecurity and struggle to grasp the severity of specific attacks. They might not realise that certain habits of theirs can weaken the integrity of your entire IT infrastructure. Take the time to first address any confusion on the topic and lay certain misconceptions to rest. Explain to them that:

> Data encryption is essential.

For some reason, many people believe that their information is safe on their device, even though it’s unencrypted. They don’t realise that data needs to be protected; otherwise, it’s a clear invitation for someone to breach your network and steal it.

> Most passwords are not strong enough.

Although the tech world has been advising users to create much stronger passwords for years now, most individuals have never changed their primary user log-in. Some don’t even have password protection in the first place because they think it’s unnecessary. Even if your computer is physically locked away in the workplace, someone with malicious intent can still access it.

Also, passwords with actual words are weak since the software can run through a dictionary until it finds the correct words. Every device needs a long and random password–use a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

> You must follow company regulations and security policies.

Regular employees typically don’t even know their own company’s regulations regarding privacy. Some specific standards and acts need to be observed when dealing with sensitive data–you don’t want a lawsuit on your hands because you failed to abide by them. You must remind your employees that they should never store data in unsecured locations, such as on their devices or in an unprotected manner. They might not realise that they’re violating security policies by keeping their data alongside your clients’ data in unsafe storage space.

> Malware does not spread by proximity.

Some believe malware acts like an actual virus, spreading to the rest of the devices by physical contact or proximity. They don’t realise that the virus travels through the network, so that the exact threat can attack a computer in an entirely different room. There is no guarantee of hardware safety based on location. Locking or turning it off isn’t enough to prevent a virus from breaching it either.