Today, businesses are facing a greater range of cybersecurity threats than ever. And as the number of threats has grown, so too has the level of risk involved – in fact, some malware attacks and data breaches can cause so much damage that businesses never fully recover.
A critical step in guarding against these attacks is to ensure every member of your team is equipped with the knowledge and skills required to recognize and respond to cyber threats. But how can you build the right security posture?
In this article, we explore five key best practices to increase your employees’ cybersecurity awareness and protect your organization from damaging cyber threats. From guiding people with the right policies to running regular phishing simulations, here’s how to get started.
Let’s begin with a fundamental step: Invest in the right cybersecurity training.
Best practice #1: Invest in unforgettable cybersecurity training
When building a strong cybersecurity posture, your first step should be to invest in memorable training that empowers employees to be the first line of defense against threats such as phishing, malware attacks, data breaches, and more. But remember, not all training is created equal.
Here’s how to elevate your cybersecurity training and ensure people remember what they learn:
- Focus on real-world stories and scenarios: Some cybersecurity training can feel academic and unrelated to the threats people really face every day. Choose a solution that focuses on real-world stories and scenarios, giving people the practical tips and strategies they need to identify and respond to common cyber threats safely.
- Bring cybersecurity to life with interactive experiences: We’ve all clicked through boring slides and presentations on cybersecurity threats. But when real-life scams and hacks are so interesting (Mirai Botnet, anyone?), there’s no excuse for dull training – especially when you combine these stories with quizzes, simulations, and gamified experiences.
- Offer regular refreshers: Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, with scammers finding scary new ways to target us, including AI audio and video deep fakes. Help your employees keep up by offering refreshers on the latest threats and best practices.
By prioritizing high-quality, unforgettable training, organizations can create a culture of vigilance, empowering employees to detect and mitigate cyber threats effectively, safeguard sensitive company data, and avoid scams.
Want to know if your cybersecurity awareness training is really making the right impact? Take a look at our free checklist on 12 essential cybersecurity metrics.
Best practice #2: Run regular phishing simulations
Although cyber threats are always evolving, one thing stays the same: Phishing attacks are still the most common method hackers use to target organizations. These attacks rely on human error, tricking targets into clicking on malicious links, divulging sensitive information, or even transferring huge amounts of money under false pretences.
To protect your organization against phishing threats, you should run regular simulations to test people and give them the chance to identify and respond to attacks in safety. Here’s how:
- Create realistic attack scenarios: To really test your teams, design phishing emails that mimic authentic tactics, such as urgent payment requests or fake login pages tailored to match someone’s real responsibilities. For example, you could test your accounts team with a late payment warning, or your HR team with a candidate reference check.
- Reward success: To get the best results out of your simulations, be sure to recognize employees who successfully recognize phishing attempts. This helps to build morale, reinforce positive behavior, and make your cybersecurity culture more visible.
- Provide instant feedback: When employees fall for simulated phishing attempts, offer immediate feedback to explain their mistake and how to avoid it in the future. If you don’t follow up promptly enough, people will likely forget what they did wrong.
- Track your progress: Use analytics to measure how employees improve over time. A decrease in phishing simulation failures can indicate a stronger security posture and show that your awareness efforts are making the right impact.
- Know when not to phish: Some situations are a little too sensitive to use in phishing simulations, for example, announcements on workplace restructuring or pay bonuses. Try to avoid causing any unnecessary stress or disappointment when running simulations.
And remember, scammers are clever and inventive. So, take the time to craft a simulation that is every bit as sneaky and convincing as the real deal.
Learn more: How to Run a World-Class Phishing Simulation in 6 Steps
Best practice #3: Implement clear cybersecurity policies
No matter how experienced they may be, every employee needs a clear set of guidelines to understand how cybersecurity works in their organization. A concise, well-documented set of cybersecurity policies can give people a roadmap for safe behavior, ensuring everyone understands their duties and responsibilities.
A comprehensive set of policies covering best practices around vendor management and data security can also help you comply with regulatory frameworks such as NIS2.
Here are some key cybersecurity policies to get you started:
- Data handling practices: Your employees need guidance on how to handle sensitive data, such as encrypting files, using secure file-sharing platforms, and disposing of confidential documents correctly.
- Password management: Every organization needs a clear set of rules for creating strong passwords, including the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and password managers. This helps avoid common weak practices like password sharing or reusing passwords across platforms. And if you’re still not convinced, remember: The latest password cracking technology can crack many passwords in less than an hour.
- Device security: On top of requiring strong passwords and data handling practices, you should establish protocols for securing work devices, including personal devices used for work under a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy.
- Third-party management and vendor security: Whenever you work with vendors and third-parties, you need to set clear guidelines around the security audits required for these business partners. You also need to use a rigorous due diligence process to ensure all third parties share your organization’s security posture.
- Acceptable use guidelines: Many cyber attacks start with employees using company tools and systems for improper purposes. You need a policy to specify how company networks, emails, internet access, and company hardware should be used responsibly.
- Incident reporting: It’s crucial to know exactly what to do in the case of a cybersecurity incident. Define clear procedures for reporting potential security breaches, suspicious activity, or threats to company data. Employees should know how and where to report issues without fear of repercussions.
- Digital footprint management: Your employees should know how to manage and minimize what they share online – including personal and professional updates. Taking control of our digital footprints is a critical step to stopping phishing attacks and other types of social engineering before they start.
And remember, this is a non-exhaustive list. You should give your employees clear and comprehensive guidance on any other subjects they might need to keep your organization safe.
Best practice #4: Prove your leadership commitment
A strong culture of employee cybersecurity awareness starts at the very top. If people see company leadership prioritizing cybersecurity, they’ll be more likely to adopt secure best practices and maintain these over time, rather than viewing them as just a compliance obligation.
Here’s how you can prove your leadership commitment to cybersecurity:
- Lead by example: Company leaders should model good cybersecurity habits, from using strong passwords and MFA to participating in phishing simulations (more on that below). When employees see leaders prioritizing security, they’re more likely to follow suit.
- Include company leadership in phishing simulations: Anyone can fall victim to phishing attacks – including company leadership. You should regularly include senior leaders in your phishing simulations to show your teams how committed they are to staying secure.
- Communicate clearly and openly: To really build the right culture of cybersecurity, you need to talk about it. This can include taking the time in company forums to highlight the latest threats and celebrate those who have successfully flagged them to your IT or security team.
- Celebrate awareness month: Finally, you should participate in National Cybersecurity Awareness Month by hosting events or challenges every October to reinforce the importance of a shared cybersecurity culture.
And finally, let’s focus on choosing the right cybersecurity tools.
Best practice #5: Choose cybersecurity tools that work for your team
Employee awareness training and phishing simulations are essential tools in your toolbox – but they’re not the only ones. Here are some other critical software tools that can help employees develop better cybersecurity habits and minimize disruption in case of an attack:
- Password managers: Developing secure password habits can sometimes be a pain for employees. You can ease the burden by providing people with password management software that generates and stores strong, unique passwords securely.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP): The right DLP solution can automatically scan and track your data for any exfiltration risks, including alerting your team to unusual or risky behavior with your sensitive information.
- Endpoint protection: Consider using endpoint security software to protect devices from malware, ransomware, and other major cyber threats.
- Email security solutions: When email remains such a popular point of entry for cyberattacks, consider using tools that filter out phishing attempts, spam, and malware-laden emails before they reach employees’ inboxes.
- Secure collaboration platforms: Ensure collaboration tools like messaging apps and cloud storage services are encrypted and compliant with the latest security standards.
Learn more: 6 Warning Signs Your Team May Be Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks – and Our Tips to Stay Safe
Cyber threats are always evolving – stay on top with these 5 best practices
Building a culture of employee cybersecurity awareness is a continuous effort. It takes commitment from company leadership, as well as the investment of time and money: in the right awareness training, the right simulation platform, and the right software solutions to keep your teams – and your sensitive data – safe.
As the threat landscape continues to evolve, you can protect your teams by embracing these five best practices and encouraging everyone to make cybersecurity a top priority.
To find out how Riot can help you stay on top of the latest threats with unforgettable training, sneaky phishing simulations, and much more, get in touch with one of our experts today.
