Your employees are the first line of defense in your cybersecurity. Hence, it is crucial that you have a strong information security awareness program.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased our reliance on technology. We do almost all aspects of our business with technology. Yet, this gives hackers more opportunities to compromise your data.
Thus, a cyber secure and aware culture must be on the top of your priority list. Furthermore, all levels and individuals in the organization must commit to the program.
There is just a lot to teach employees. Some of those are how to recognize phishing attacks, CEO fraud, and social engineering. Now is the perfect time to build strong information security awareness training.
Read on to see the best practices on how to build a strong information security awareness program. These will keep your organization and people protected and secure.
Get The Support You Need
You must have the support of all departments,decision-makers, and individuals to succeed in your information security awareness program. This means getting everyone interested and engaged in security awareness. Follow the following tips on how to get the support you need.
Get C-Suite Support
Of course, employees will spend time learning and they must have the permission of the management before doing so. Moreover, employees must take training as a priority for them and the organization. Having the C-suite support is a crucial step in achieving this.
Without it, you won’t have the training budget and employees won’t have the allocated time to complete training modules. Furthermore, you need C-suite support to set the tone at the top of why cybersecurity is essential.
Show the executive and management team how cyberattacks happen and their potential impacts. Additionally, conduct a phishing simulation for your management team. Following these steps will make C-suite realize the importance of training.
Partner Up
Work with key departments to build a security awareness program. Some of those departments are legal, HR, and IT. Explain the importance of such training.
These departments must see that the training won’t take much time. You may use micro- or nano-learning activities to demonstrate so.
Know Your Organization
A successful awareness program is tailored according to the specific needs of an employee. You won’t know their needs if you won’t talk to them. Furthermore, learn about the culture, objectives, and concerns of different teams and departments in your organization.
Take note that gamified training might not appeal to everyone or that some teams are on tight schedules.
Communicate
Keep your key colleagues and C-suite executives updated with the program status. Moreover, encourage everyone to give their ideas and feedback on the training. Furthermore, listen to what they have to say and give people training that fits.
Best Practices for Building an Information Security Awareness Program
As mentioned, you must tailor your program according to the needs of the employees. An off-the-shelf program is not effective at all. Keep in mind the following practices.
High-quality content
Implement training created by security experts. It must be fun, engaging, and relevant as people have short attention spans.
Personalized campaigns
Give people content that is specific to their role and responsibilities. Moreover, ensure that it is accessible in their native language.
Collaboration
Look for a security awareness training provider who wants to be your collaborative partner. Additionally, choose a company that uses an advisory approach and is committed to learning about your organization’s needs.
