Cybersecurity threats have always been an issue for businesses but they’re even more so after months of COVID-19 lockdowns. Many staff are still working remotely and away from the office making them more vulnerable. Cybercrime as a whole has increased by 600% since the beginning of the global pandemic. That’s scary stuff. Especially since it doesn’t look like the threats will ease off anytime soon. Companies are having a hard time keeping up with the increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks, particularly social engineering attacks (like email phishing and link scams). These are designed to target employees and their lack of knowledge around IT security. Even with the top-of-line security software in place, your staff are, unintentionally, your biggest cybersecurity threat. The good news is you can fix this by creating a security-minded culture within your organization. In today’s topic, we put the spotlight on a company called KnowBe4, and discuss how they can help you improve security from the inside out before it’s too late.
Knowledge is Power
The famous quote by Sir Francis Bacon, “Knowledge itself is power”, rings true in the context of cybersecurity. The more your staff know about the risks to IT security, and just how common and pervasive it is, the more likely they will be better able to protect your IT infrastructure against malicious online attacks. When people know what to look for in security attacks that can compromise your IT network, they’ll be less likely to fall victim. Imagine your employees are your organization’s Army. You want them to be your first line of defense against cybercriminals. For this to happen, you need to equip them quickly and properly, and with the right tools.
65% of leaders say that security awareness training is not a top priority. This is a huge oversight, likely resulting in irreconcilable damage to a business – in both finances and reputation. It’s not a matter of if your organization will be attacked online, but when. With only 35% of leaders making security awareness a priority, that leaves a lot of opportunity for cybercriminals. If you’re not staying ahead of the battlefield, you’re subjecting your company to possibly thousands, if not millions, of dollars worth of stolen or destroyed data. That’s not even touching on the potential long-term reputational damage your company may face. This might seem overwhelming, but we have an easy solution.
How Can KnowBe4 Help Me?
This is where KnowBe4 training comes in. KnowBe4 empowers staff through education and training turning them into a human firewall of sorts. Online criminals see your staff as your company’s weakest link in IT security, and they are increasingly preying on this vulnerability. Michael Osterman of Osterman Research, Inc. discovered there is more than a one-in-four chance that a user will mistakenly click on a phishing email and infect a corporate network. Security awareness training is essential if you want a chance at winning the online war, but it can’t be just any training. The training must be engaging, interactive, and fun. Staff need to learn from and absorb the knowledge, so they are ready and armed to fight against unwanted intrusions during their day-to-day work.
When set up by a business partner (such as BT Partners), KnowBe4 training is on-demand, engaging, and user-friendly to make even your most security-unsavvy users become security threat experts, or at the very least security threat aware. There are different levels of training, suitable to your company’s needs and size, and programs can provide continuous and up-to-date real-world security threat examples/simulations to keep employees sharp and on the lookout. Your employees have fun ways to stay engaged and are motivated to learn. Staff can compete on leaderboards, win badges, and set customizable features tailored to how they like to learn.
Tailor KnowBe4 Training for Your Team
We appreciate how much work it takes to manage not only an in-house security training awareness program, but an effective one. Especially while gaining buy-in from staff, and then measuring the results and ROI of the initiative. That’s why we tailor KnowBe4 training to provide employers with a concrete and successful solution fit specific to your company. The product is a pioneer in security awareness training. When set up properly by your business partner, the solution offers the unique expertise and know-how to educate people on how to identify, react, and prevent social engineering attacks. KnowBe4 also offers valuable advanced reporting to showcase the quantifiable effects of the training on your employees – key positive ROI stats that you can take to management and brag about.
If you’re looking for help in a security awareness training program for your company or have questions on how KnowBe4 training can help you and your business, contact our Managed Services team for more information.
