Cyber security awareness and training must be ongoing

Discover the imperative of continual cybersecurity awareness and training, a crucial shield against evolving threats. Beyond Cyber Awareness Month, the focus extends to ongoing vigilance, especially with the looming Black Friday cyber threats. We emphasize the pivotal role of educated and empowered employees in recognizing and thwarting diverse cyber risks. Navigate the legal and ethical dimensions of cybersecurity, with the importance of compliance. With tailored training, transform employees into a proactive human firewall, ensuring businesses stay ahead in the complex cybersecurity landscape.

Even if your company missed out on Cyber Awareness Month in October, it is never too late to empower your HR and IT departments with tailormade training programmes, says Isabel Adams, People Enablement Director at AVeS Cyber Security, who recently won the KnowBe4 Partner to Watch Award.

KnowBe4 provides the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform. The Partner to Watch Award is bestowed on a channel partner who has demonstrated excellence in promoting awareness of the human element in cybersecurity. The award recognises the partner’s commitment to protecting customers, marketing innovation, and security thought leadership,

It is particularly important given upcoming events like Black Friday on 24 November. Research conducted by Surfshark Antivirus in 2022 found that there was a 17% spike in cyber threats in South Africa during the week leading up to Black Friday. The study revealed that every 50th scan found at least one threat, with South Africa experiencing a threat rate of 13 per 100 scan cycles.

Therefore, it is important to note that cyber security is not a once-off event, and neither does it represent a static state of a business at any given point.

Ongoing training reduces the likelihood and impact of cyber incidents, especially as human error is often the main cause of many breaches. Providing training to raise awareness lessens the risk of employees falling victim to scams, clicking on malicious links, or sharing sensitive information. They are also equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to detect and report suspicious activities, minimising the damage in the event of any incident.

Cybersecurity is not only a technical issue but also a legal and ethical one. Depending on your industry and location, companies need to be aware of the various regulations and standards that must be complied with. Again, this requires employees to be trained accordingly. On the customer side, it establishes you as a credible and compliant company that can be relied on and trusted.

Ongoing training and awareness boosts productivity and efficiency. Cyber incidents disrupt business operations, cause downtime, or result in data loss or corruption. Preventing or mitigating cyber incidents ensures business continuity and guarantees the quality of your services and products.

“To ensure employees remain vigilant, we recommend consistent, quality cyber awareness training, we can provide quotes to suit any organisation’s specific needs in terms of budget and objectives,” she concludes.

‘Research shows a 17% spike in cyber threats in SA during the week leading up to Black Friday; tips to stay safe’ https://www.iol.co.za/saturday-star/news/research-shows-a-17-spike-in-cyber-threats-in-sa-during-week-leading-up-to-black-friday-tips-to-stay-safe-c06b57ab-a956-4bf5-8f7c-920ee70b231f