Regular, comprehensive cybersecurity training is a serious commitment. It might be tempting to save time and money by skipping those training hours. But the cost of doing so can be devastating for your business.
Proper cybersecurity training costs money. It requires expertise. It takes busy people away from their work. Of course, it’s ideal if you can keep your team up to date with the latest cybersecurity developments. But is it really, absolutely necessary to dedicate time, money and effort to delivering regular training?
No matter your circumstances, the answer is always YES. Yes, it’s worth it. The potential cost of letting your team fall behind on cybersecurity is much, much higher than the cost of delivering regular expert training. This is a corner you just can’t afford to cut.
But what about software?
Cybersecurity software has never been more evolved or more accessible. Thanks to affordable cloud computing solutions, even the smallest business can have top-class protection against cyber threats. But software can only do so much.
Cybercriminals don’t just test for weaknesses in computer systems. They try to trick the gatekeepers: the human beings who operate those computers. Common scams like phishing work by triggering emotions such as fear, curiosity, anxiety and greed. If the hacker can persuade their victim to click on a link and give up valuable credentials, then they have direct access to your data.
The only sure way to keep that data safe is to train your team in how to identify and avoid cyberscams. And tactics change all the time, so this training needs to be periodically refreshed.
But my team are smart. They won’t get caught out.
When you work with intelligent, motivated people, it’s easy to assume that they’ll make good decisions in every aspect of their lives. But humans are social animals, and the culture you build at work influences your team’s decisions more than you probably realise. Regular training is an important part of building a healthy cybersecurity culture.
As any psychologist would tell you, we take our cues from others all the time. Social norms influence how people behave, what they wear, and, most importantly in this situation, how they assess risk. If nobody else bothers changing their password regularly, or logging out of their computer, or installing updates, then why should I? That’s how the logic goes. But if good security practices become the norm, your team members will follow along too.
But training is time-consuming. I don’t want to inflict that on my team.
Regular cybersecurity training isn’t just for your benefit. It will help each member of your team to internalise and apply best practices. They won’t have to waste time and energy on assessing risks case-by-case, because they’ll know exactly what to do and what the risks are if they don’t follow protocol. It’s a win for productivity and efficiency, as well as safety.
If you’re not already investing in cybersecurity training, we urge you to put it on your agenda for 2022. As your IT support partner, Perigon One can design and deliver training to keep your whole team up to date. If you’d like to discuss how we can help, or just ask us a question, do get in touch.
