Whether you’re the manager of a small or large-size organization, your employees must know the fundamentals of cybersecurity. When they do, it ensures that your business and its assets are better protected. Plus, your employees are less likely to experience harm, which is something you can’t put a price on.
So, the big question is this: where do you start?
There’s a misconception out there that providing employees with cybersecurity training is a long, hard, and overcomplicated process – this simply isn’t true.
With this simple and easy 4-step guide, you can prepare your employees for today’s world of cybersecurity and cloud operations.
Step 1: Enroll Them on a Cybersecurity Course
The first – and most important – step that you need to take is enrolling your employees on a cyber security course. Best of all, these types of courses are online, meaning there’s no need to travel or book hotels anywhere. Instead, employees can learn at their own pace from any location, whether it’s their homes or your business headquarters.
By the end of the course, your organization will understand the fundamentals of cybersecurity and what it means to protect a business in the online world. When you think about it, it’s a no-brainer.
Also, it’s worth mentioning that a lot of online cybersecurity courses help to prepare employees for exams, which can then help them to get certified in certain areas, such as CompTIA Security+.
Step 2: Have Guest Speakers Come into the Office
In 2022, many companies are hiring guest speakers (who are cybersecurity specialists) to come into the office and hold seminars for their employees. During these seminars, employees can supplement their knowledge surrounding cybersecurity and have any queries that they have answered.
For example, if your organization has had previous issues with phishing attacks, then you can hire a guest speaker to talk about phishing and all of the warning signs to look out for.
Step 3: Complete a Cybersecurity Checklist
Whether you have 5 or 50 employees, it’s important to create a cybersecurity checklist for them all to run through. Here are some good examples:
- Turn on two-factor authentication across all company accounts
- Choose strong passwords (and change them every 3 months)
- Don’t use company devices (such as work smartphones) for personal use
Once each employee completes their checklist, it automatically makes your organization a safer and more secure place to work.
Remember, this is especially important if your company deals with a lot of sensitive customer data, such as bank details. If this sort of information was ever lost or stolen, it could lead to your brand reputation taking irreparable damage – which is something you naturally won’t want to happen.
Step 4: Have One-to-One Progress Chats
Finally, make sure to hold one-to-one progress chats with your employees regarding cybersecurity. Ideally, these chats should be held every 6 months. During the chats, employees can discuss any worries or concerns that they have with you (e.g., company accounts don’t feel safe), which will then allow you to act.