While your employees are working hard for your business, hackers are hard at work trying to get your sensitive data. One of the most common tactics used by criminals is phishing – Emails posing as a trusted entity in order to trick individuals into giving up personal information. These attacks are costly – averaging $4.5 million per data breach. And not just big businesses are at risk. A shocking 60 percent of small businesses hit with cybersecurity attacks go out of business within just 6 months. the time. Protecting your company from these attacks starts with protecting your employees with the most foundational approach – Information, education, and training.

Why Employee Training is Crucial

Today’s cybersecurity measures include advanced firewalls, intelligent antivirus software, and solid encryptions. But, what phishing leverages is the human element: The ability of a person to give access to malware or bad actors simply by clicking on a link. Employees have the ability to throw the door open to their, and your company’s, important data despite your best efforts.

Shutting down phishing attacks, therefore, has to involve educating your employees in the dangers of phishing, how to recognize a phishing attack and how to prevent or respond to the attack. When it comes to fighting cyberattacks, an educated, attentive workforce is your most vital line of defense.

Even if your employees have been trained in the past, you can benefit from regular refreshers for your workforce. Cyberattacks are constantly evolving. Phishing scams today may look different, and more sophisticated, than those of the past. An employee training program can keep your staff up to date on the latest attempts to access sensitive information.

How To Create An Effective Security Awareness Training Program

In order to develop a workforce that can effectively shut down phishing attacks, your employee training program needs to include a number of components that educate and equip your employees for whatever comes their way. Here is a look at some of the most important pieces to have in your program:

Understanding Phishing

While many employees may know what phishing is, many will not. Lay the groundwork for your training by explaining what phishing is. Use real-life examples if possible and make sure to highlight the forms that phishing can take, such as these:

• Email Phishing: Emails that appear to be from trusted sources.
• Spear Phishing: Attacks targeted to specific employees.
• Whaling: Attacks that target high-level executives.
• Smishing and Vishing: Phishing attacks that use text messages and phone calls.

Recognizing Red Flags

Phishing attacks can be sophisticated, but there are red flags employees should be aware of:

• Unexpected Emails: Especially if these emails ask for sensitive information.
• Generic Greeting: That does not use the recipient’s name.
• Spelling and Grammar Mistakes.
• Urgent Language: Or even threatening language intended to create a sense of panic.
• Suspicious Links: Emails that ask recipients to open links or attachments.

Practicing Safety

Equip your workforce with tools to handle phishing attempts:

• Verify the Email Address: Employees should examine the sender carefully.
• Check URLs: Employees should hover their cursors over links to see the real URL.
• Double-check with Sender: If there is any question about an email’s validity, the employee should check with the sender directly.
• Report Suspicious Emails: Establish a protocol for reporting phishing attempts. Usually this report should be made to the IT department.

Regular Training

As phishing evolves, your training should keep up. Make security training for your employees a routine part of your work culture so employees are always on top of the most recent tactics and responses. You can even incorporate mock phishing attacks as part of your training culture.

Creating Open Communication

Make sure that your company is a place where cybersecurity belongs to everyone and where open conversations are encouraged. Make sure that employees who successfully recognize and report phishing attempts receive rewards and commendation.

In order to implement effective employee cybersecurity training, let Spot On Tech be your partner. We have an upcoming webinar called Cybersecurity in the Time of Hybrid Work. Led by Systems Engineer Keith Willse, this powerful tool for businesses will offer education, insights, and tools to equip you and your employees to become a success, not a cybersecurity statistic.

Visit our site to learn more and register! We are here to help you manage all of your technology seamlessly, securely, and successfully so your business can grow! Not only do we offer webinars, but we also offer services designed to put all of your tech needs under one customized solution that allows us to focus on the tech while you focus on the things that will help your business grow and thrive. We look forward to talking with you and helping you craft tech solutions that work for your specific needs! Explore our services and let us know if Tech-as-Service could make a difference for your business.