The Human Factor: Why employee awareness is critical for network security

For modern business operations, network security is critical to protecting critical business data, preventing unauthorized access to systems, and defending private networks from theft and cyberattacks. Although companies spend considerable sums on network security measures, one of the most important and unfortunately overlooked threats is often that of employees.

Employees are increasingly becoming the weakest link in network security, especially considering the number of data breaches caused by human error or negligence. For this reason, the importance of the human factor in network security should never be underestimated. Today, we’ll explain why employees play a huge role in network security and provide tips for organizations to improve their training programs.

The Importance of Employee Network Security Awareness

The primary target of most cyberattacks is usually employees. Cybercriminals excelled in social engineering techniques to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information or their credentials for use in systems. This makes employees the weakest link in a network security structure since they have access to sensitive data, which is at risk of being exposed as a result of employee error.

Employees can also compromise the security of a private network by accidentally downloading malware or clicking on malicious links containing harmful scripts. Data breaches resulting from such negligence can have damaging consequences such as loss of revenue, legal liability, or theft of company information.

To mitigate the risk of employee error, companies should prioritize employee awareness of network security. They must educate employees about current cybersecurity risks and how to avoid them. It’s also essential to have training programs in place for new hires to teach proper password management and how to avoid phishing attacks and social engineering tactics.

Finally, if companies want to keep employee awareness high at all times, they must have an ongoing training program in place so that employees are always aware of the latest threats. By investing in these training sessions, companies can minimize the risk of a data breach caused by human error.

Employee training programs

Implementing an effective employee training program is an integral part of improving awareness and mitigating cyber risks associated with human error. If you want to have an effective training program, you need to provide employees with the knowledge and network security solutions needed to identify and minimize cyber threats.

Content

In terms of training program content, you need to cover various aspects of network security. These include password management, social engineering tactics, phishing attacks, and safe browsing techniques. That being said, the content of the training program will and should vary depending on the specific needs of the business.

Delivery

Delivery is critical to the success of the training program. It should engage employees and enable their active participation. Ultimately, they are the ones who will put what they have learned into practice, so the program must be inclusive. Good delivery means interactive training sessions, real-life examples and simulations.

Frequency

Network security training should always be ongoing. New employees should take this training as part of their company onboarding, and existing employees should take it regularly to keep abreast of emerging threats. For current employees, regular training sessions will reinforce their knowledge while preparing them for recent risks.

Metric

One of the best ways to track the effectiveness of a training program is to measure employee participation, engagement, and knowledge retention. Sending out quizzes after training sessions can also help gauge the success of the network security training program. These metrics can help companies adjust their training plans and identify areas for improvement.

Awareness of cybersecurity risks

Having an excellent network security training program is not enough on its own. Companies must also take steps to raise cybersecurity awareness and create a culture of understanding cyber risks and taking the necessary steps to avoid them within the organization.

To create a culture of cybersecurity, organizations can follow the steps below:

Develop policies and procedures

Policies and procedures are needed to address network security risks and to create a guideline for employees to follow. Device usage, acceptable websites, and how to search the Internet safely should be explained in company policies. These will also allow employees to know their limits when they are in the company network.

Communicate procedures

Communication of company policies should occur through employee handbooks, training sessions, and other internal communications. It should be clear that the policies are binding on all employees and there will be consequences for violating them.

Encourage reporting of security incidents

It’s also important to create a culture that knows cyberattacks are happening, even if you implement all possible measures. Employees should be encouraged to report security incidents without fear in order to minimize the extent of a breach. Companies must indicate who to contact and what action to take in the event of an incident.

lead by example

Team leaders and managers must lead by example by following policies and protocols. Employees are much more likely to understand the importance of network security when their leaders take it seriously. All team leaders should be equipped with the skills necessary to help their employees maintain network security.

Tips for Improving Employee Awareness and Network Security

We believe that providing important guidance for improving employee awareness and network security will help organizations create the kind of culture they want to strengthen their security posture. Here are three effective tips that will strengthen an organization’s network security while preparing employees for cyber risks.
Perform exercise and scenario simulations

Employees will take this more seriously if you can perform simulated exercises and scenarios where the corporate network is compromised. These are also useful to see how employees react to this kind of attack and if they follow the pre-established procedures.

Enforcing strict password policies

Insider threats and human error attacks are common, and stolen credentials are a big part of it. All organizations should enforce strict password policies and use advanced technologies such as multi-factor authentication to strengthen their authentication processes. Employees need to know how to effectively protect their credentials.

Use up-to-date security solutions

Regardless of how well trained your employees are or how experienced your IT teams are, you’ll need high-end, modern security solutions to have a robust security posture. Invest in up-to-date security solutions that meet your business needs. Thanks to modern technological advancements, most solutions are now in the cloud and can be acquired through online vendors.