fbpx
Search
Close this search box.

Establish a Vigilant Culture with a Human-Centric Approach to Cybersecurity

Hands typing on computer.

Oftentimes, organizations are so worried about implementing technical security controls like firewalls, intrusion prevention systems and anti-malware software that they forget about the most important security control: employees.

And when it comes to cybersecurity, the employees in your organization tend to be the weakest link in your defense, so ensuring that everyone is working with—rather than against—your security controls is critical. All employees should receive security awareness training on a frequent, recurring basis. Security awareness training programs are designed to help users and employers understand the role they play in helping to combat security breaches.

Employee Training

From regulatory compliance to phishing awareness and general cybersecurity best practices, awareness training helps employees keep your organization—and its data—safe. An awareness program also allows you to keep track of which employees have completed training, which new staff need to get up to speed and which users need a refresher course.

Many vendors provide short, video-based training modules about such timely security-awareness topics as using secure authentication methods, identifying social engineering (phishing) attacks, safe handling of sensitive data, causes of unintentional data exposure and the proper way to identify and report potential security incidents. Upon conclusion of a training module, participants are typically required to pass some type of quiz to gauge comprehension and retention of the material. These videos are a great way to get your team started on the road to security awareness.

You can supplement these training efforts with recurring tests such as internal phishing training. These serve as a practical demonstration that employees’ security awareness is improving, and a way to keep employees sharp when it comes to spotting suspicious activity. Your initial test results will likely be substandard, but as employees become accustomed to being on the lookout for phishing, results should dramatically improve. Many organizations have fostered an environment of security awareness through positive, public recognition of employees who score well on their phishing tests.

When Incidents Do Occur

To properly protect your business—and your data—you need to develop and document a process that defines standard procedures, roles, duties, and key management personnel with decision-making authority.

  • Define organization-wide standards for employees to report suspicious events to the incident response team, the approved methods for such reporting and the kind of information that should be included in the report.
  • Document third-party contact information to be used to report a security incident, such as law enforcement, relevant government departments, vendors and Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) partners.
  • Incorporate the incident-response process into your security awareness training program so that all employees are familiar with it.

To keep employees vigilant and aware of new security threats, conduct recurring mock incident response exercises the same way you would with phishing or email security testing. These can be conducted as tabletop exercises for hypothetical scenarios and should help participants maintain awareness and comfort in responding to real-world threats. Exercises should test communication channels, decision making and the incident responders’ technical capabilities using the tools and data available to them. Practicing incident response in this manner is a great way to keep your employees sharp and ready to jump into action should a real security incident materialize.

Security gaps? We’ve got you covered.

Don’t know where you stand when it comes to security? We’ve got you covered. Our security experts have the knowledge and experience to help organizations like yours reach and maintain full compliance. We perform a comprehensive analysis of your technology and cybersecurity environment, a review of potential cybersecurity gaps and compliance risks and then help you build a plan customized for your organization with actionable steps to help mitigate risks and protect employees and your data.

Increase security and peace of mind with Corsica. Schedule your personal consultation today.
Corsica Technologies
Corsica provides personalized service and a virtual CIO (vCIO) who serves as a strategic advisor. When it comes to the complex integration of solutions for IT and cybersecurity, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We offer cybersecurity solutions, managed services, digital transformation, resale services, and one-off technology projects. Corsica unifies any combination of these services into a complete, seamless solution.

Related Reads

IT Outsourcing Company Trends - Corsica Technologies

11 Emerging Trends in Technology and IT Outsourcing

Things change fast in the world of technology. From emerging trends in cybersecurity to EDI and data integration, it’s challenging for midmarket companies to meet the technology needs of their internal and external customers. For many organizations, outsourcing is the

Read more
EDI Issues and Challenges - Corsica Technologies

7 Pitfalls To Avoid On Your EDI Journey

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is an essential technology for exchanging transactional data between business partners, also known as Trading Partners in the EDI community. From orders, invoices, and advance shipment notifications to benefit enrollments, claims processing, and payment authorizations, numerous

Read more
Cybersecurity Trends 2024 - Corsica Technologies

10 Cybersecurity Trends Emerging In 2024

When it comes to cybersecurity, things are never static. So far, 2024 is consistent with this theme. We’re seeing a mix of familiar trends intensifying alongside startling new developments. From the cybersecurity skills crunch to AI-powered attacks, 2024 is shaping

Read more

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Stay up-to-date on the Managed Services and Cybersecurity landscape, and be the first to find out about events and special offers.