Cyber Security

Cyber Security Awareness Training – Our Brief Guide

10 May 2022

We’ve previously discussed the threats your business might face from ex-employees and the importance of off-boarding.

Now, while it’s true that ex-employees pose security risks, did you know that 95% of cyber attacks are a result of human error? 

Having said that, even if you do have some of the best security measures installed, your employees may unknowingly pose a threat to your business’ data security. After all, it only takes one click on a malicious email to grant access to cyber attackers, enable them to penetrate your IT infrastructure, and get hold of confidential information.

However, you can stop that from happening by conducting cyber security awareness training.

In this article, we’ll explore what cyber security awareness training is along with how it benefits your organisation. Before that though, let’s take a look at the two most common attacks your team is vulnerable to.

What is Cyber Security Awareness Training?

Cyber security training for employees aims to educate your employees about the array of IT security threats out there and how they can be avoided. Through cyber security awareness training, you can improve cyber security awareness and protect your organisation’s sensitive data from cyberattacks. 

There are many key aspects to security awareness training and a good program will cover all of these to give employees a holistic skillset. With comprehensive cyber security awareness training, you can help your team safely manage their data and online activity. 

At Redpalm, not only can we help you with the right IT solutions but also quickly roll out security awareness training throughout your company. We also make sure that our training includes concise videos, covering every threat from insider attacks and email phishing to malware threats and social media scams.

With the help of our cyber security awareness training guide, you can keep your staff updated about the latest cyber threats, whilst also teaching them how to prevent them from causing damage to your business.

Cyber Security Training – What Are the Benefits?

Effective cyber security awareness training educates employees on common cyber threats and teaches them to recognise and respond to them appropriately. 

Here are some of the ways your business can benefit from regular security awareness training sessions:

  • Improves the cyber security awareness of your employees and protects your organisation from potential attacks.
  • The training is concise and quick, meaning your team won’t have to take time away from their daily schedule.
  • You can easily roll out these sessions in your company.
  • You’ll get to assess the cyber security awareness of your employees in real time.

4 Common Cyber Security Threats Your Employees Are Exposed To

When it comes to businesses, there are many cybercriminal tactics you need to be prepared for. Let’s take a look at four common cyber security threats that your employees may encounter:

1. Email Phishing

One of the most common and damaging attacks, email phishing is used by hackers to ploy your employees into sharing sensitive business information. Usually, through this attack, cybercriminals mimic a legitimate sender and make use of malicious forms, links or downloads to gain access to your systems.

At the very core of it, email phishing preys on your staff’s vulnerabilities and willingness to ignore essential details to get their job done. This is one of the reasons why these attacks are often successful.

Click here to learn about the common types of email scams your employees could face.

2. Insider Attack

This is another common cyber security threat that is caused by the actions of your employees.

Through an insider attack, cybercriminals can gain easy access to your critical information and cause damaging effects to your business. This type of cyber threat not only puts your employees at risk, but can also result in financial damage to your company.

To find out more about the different types of insider threats and how to prevent them, give this blog a read.

3. Social Engineering Attacks

Social engineering is a cyberattack where the attackers use psychological tactics and manipulation to convince individuals to take a desired action. Using powerful motivators, like love, money, or fear, they gather sensitive information that can later be used to extort your organisation or for a competitive advantage. 

If you want to improve cyber security awareness, you’ll need to train your employees to recognise and effectively respond to social engineering attacks. 

4. Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is a malicious and targeted attack that bombards a network with false requests to disrupt business operations. 

During a DoS attack, your employees may be unable to perform key tasks, such as accessing emails, websites, or online accounts, that operate within the compromised system/ network. 

While many DoS attacks are often resolved without a ransom, they cost your business significant time, money, and other resources to restore operations. That’s why cyber security training for employees is essential.

Contact Redpalm for Professional Cyber Security Awareness Training

Many data breaches are the result of human error and social engineering attacks. For this reason, many companies need to implement cyber security awareness training to help employees counter these cyber threats as much as possible. 

Cyber security training for employees needs to cover key aspects, such as password security, phishing awareness, social engineering and safe browsing practices, and secure remote practices. 

Redpalm offers you IT solutions that we know will really work for your business, along with impartial service and unrivalled technical expertise. 

Having been in the IT industry for more than a decade, we have a team of experienced IT professionals who help you detect and mitigate security risks early on. 

We also offer various other services such as proactive monitoring, cloud services, technology procurement, incident response, IT audits and health checks, and more. 

With us at your disposal, you can rest assured that your IT infrastructure is in safe hands.

To learn more about our services, click here or contact us to schedule an appointment today.

Latest From The Blogs

holiday scammers, man using laptop
Cyber Security

7 Ways to Protect Your Business From Holiday Scammers

The Christmas holiday season in the UK is a pivotal time for businesses across industries, marked by a significant increase in sales and customer interactions. However, alongside these opportunities, there’s also a rise in holiday scams and cyber attacks as fraudulent individuals exploit the Christmas holiday rush. 

Read More
cyber risk report, IT technicians discussing report on tablet
General

Redpalm and Hexiosec – Importance of Cyber Risk Reports

As cyber security threats in the UK evolve in sophistication and prevalence, cyber security risk has become a growing concern

Read More
prevent a data breach, computer devices with code and access denied displayed on screen
Cyber Security

5 Effective Strategies to Prevent a Data Breach

Data breaches occur when any sensitive information is leaked or exposed to the public without authorisation. They can lead to the loss of your organisation’s intellectual property, customer data, or other confidential information.

Read More
cybersecurity metrics, woman next to data projection
Cyber Security

7 Cyber Security Metrics Every Business Should Track

The ever-evolving nature of cyber threats means tracking cyber security metrics is essential for evaluating your company’s cyber security posture and maintaining cyber defences.

Read More
digital privacy, person typing in their login credentials
General

Understanding the Future of Digital Privacy

Technological advancements have reshaped how personal information is collected, shared, and used, and privacy has emerged as one of the biggest challenges in this digital age.

Read More
cyber security certification UK, two males working on a computer in server room
Cyber Security

5 Tips to Secure Your Cyber Essentials Certification in the UK

According to the 2024 Cyber Security Breaches Survey conducted by the UK government, 50% of UK businesses experienced a cyber attack or security breach in 2023.  With a growing frequency of cyber attacks, many businesses have begun to prioritise cyber security and cyber security certification in the UK.

Read More
cyber security strategy, woman and man working on computers
Cyber Security

How to Build a Strong Cyber Security Strategy

According to cyber security stats, cyber attacks have become more prevalent in recent years, not only increasing in number of incidents but also in their level of sophistication. This increase in ransomware, phishing, and other types of cyber attacks has only emphasised the need and importance of a cyber security strategy for businesses across industries.  An effective cyber security strategy helps you protect your digital assets, such as your systems, networks, and data, from unauthorised access and damage. A well-constructed strategy involves procedures, policies and frameworks to help reduce risks, respond to incidents and safeguard sensitive data.  Your cyber security strategy isn’t meant to be perfect; it’s intended to act as a strongly educated guess as to what you need to do to keep your business safe. As your organisation and the world around you evolve, your strategy needs to evolve as well.

Read More
cyber criminal tactics, two individuals hacking into a computer system
Cyber Security

7 Common Cyber Criminal Tactics to Watch Out For

Cyber crimes are attempts by cyber criminals, hackers or other malicious individuals to gain unauthorised access to a computer network or system. These attacks often target a range of victims, from individual users to organisations and even governments, which begs the question, can cyber crime be curbed?

Read More
improve online security, a person using a laptop with visual of security overlaid on top of image
Cyber Security

6 Simple Ways to Boost Your Company’s Online Security

Online security, aka cyber security, involves protecting your business’s sensitive information and critical systems from unauthorised access and theft. With data networks being almost universal, fraudsters are becoming more and more innovative with their scams. Every day, countless cyber criminals scan unsecured or poorly secured networks, looking for an opportune moment to attack.

Read More
phishing email scam, paper email icon on a hook above a laptop
Cyber Security

A Deep Dive Into HR Phishing Email Scams

Have you ever received an email from your HR team that appeared too good to be true? Or perhaps there was something about it that sounded a little off. Beware—you may have narrowly avoided falling into the clutches of an HR phishing email scam.

Read More