What is Information Security Training
Data is one of the most valuable things on the planet right now. The global data market is expected to grow to nearly $275 billion this year in America alone. To put that in perspective, let me make it more tangible… Data is more valuable than gold and oil. It is the world’s single most valuable commodity on the planet. This is why you have passwords, why you set up multi-factor authentication. It’s important to protect your data from criminals. They also know how valuable data is. To protect yourself, you’ll want to practice good information security.
If you’re interested in introducing information security to your business – And you should be – Read this article.
Let’s Define Information Security
Information security is an essential part of your overall cybersecurity approach. It is the field that aims to protect data and information. This could be financial records, company documents, employee information, trade secrets, and so on. Transaction histories, client details, operating procedures… You name it. If it’s informational, it relies on information security. Information security boils down to the means and methods of protecting this data.
Why is Information Security Important?
As we discussed, information is valuable. Unfortunately, criminals, competitors, and bored college students want it from you. Successful information security training helps your employees protect against these threats and others. By improving security literacy, you can stop many threats before they cause damage. This protects not only practical assets and customers, but also your reputation… Not to mention your bottom line. The average data breach can take 8-9 months and nearly $4 million to fix. Are you getting the picture that this is essential now?
How to Train Information Security Awareness
Ideally, your information security training program should be part of a larger cybersecurity training program. There are a few important areas to cover, which we have already touched on in this article. First, you want to introduce your employees to what information security is. Then, explain, like we have, why this training matters, why information security is important, and that they understand their role in being secure.
A good program will also cover avoiding email scams, which are the most common source of data breaches and cybercrimes. Several scams look legitimate at first glance. Some will even use the employee’s name or other details in personally tailored attacks. Your employees should learn not to reply to these and report them as attacks.
You will also need to cover keeping login details secure. Set up multi-factor authentication and other security safety measures. If an attacker steals an account username and password, they may be able to access your entire system without these protections. Employees need to know how to make a strong password and not use the same password on multiple services.
The Key is Building Habits
In addition to simply informing your employees and setting up procedures, it’s important to build habits—safe browsing habits, safe email habits, and habits that keep them focused on work and safety. You’ll want your employees to walk away from a training program feeling empowered and responsible. There is so much more to learn about cybersecurity training. You can visit our website for more avenues to train your employees.
You can also contact us at Arruda Group to get started on tailoring a security program to meet your needs. Every business deserves security. At Arruda Group, we’ll help you protect yourself.
