Benefits of Security Training

❗ As many of you probably know, before I was an FBI Special Agent, I was a teacher. Because of this background, I am focused on blending the concepts of cybersecurity and education together to help businesses and individuals stay safe so they can reduce the chance of becoming a cyber victim. I think the current method most companies take in offering cyber training once or twice a year is ineffective. In today's evolving cyber landscape, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face unprecedented challenges when it comes to cybersecurity. There is a fallacy out there that cybersecurity attacks mainly target large corporations, but the reality is far different. In fact, according to a recent report, nearly 43% of all cyber-attacks are aimed at SMBs, often because attackers expect less sophisticated defense mechanisms. Training and education is an area that is often also lacking in the SMB world. 🔑 Why One-Time Training Isn't Enough Initial training sessions on cybersecurity might give your team a foundational understanding, but cybersecurity is not a one-and-done endeavor. The threat landscape is constantly evolving, and what was secure yesterday might not be secure today. Here's why continual training is crucial: 1️⃣ New Threats Emerge Daily: Cybercriminals are innovating faster than ever. Your team needs to keep up. 2️⃣ Technology Evolves: As your business adopts new technologies, new vulnerabilities may emerge that your team needs to be aware of. 3️⃣ Human Error: The most common cause of breaches is still human error. Regular training helps keep best practices at the top of mind. 🎯 Benefits of Continual Cybersecurity Education 1️⃣ Proactive Defense: Ongoing training helps employees recognize threats before they become incidents. 2️⃣ Compliance: Many industries require regular cybersecurity training for compliance purposes. 3️⃣ Employee Confidence: A well-educated staff is more confident in their daily operations, reducing stress and increasing productivity. 💡 Action Steps for SMBs 1️⃣ Annual Assessments: Conduct cybersecurity risk assessments annually, if not bi-annually. 2️⃣ Quarterly Training: Implement quarterly cybersecurity training and frequent drills. 3️⃣ Stay Updated: Keep abreast of the latest in cybersecurity news and update your training materials accordingly. Remember, cybersecurity is a journey, not a destination. As a business owner of leader, you need to prioritize the safety of your businesses, employees, and customers by investing in ongoing cybersecurity education. Stay safe and secure! 🔒 #Cybersecurity #SMBs #DataProtection #ContinualTraining #DigitalSafety #BusinessSecurity #knowledgeisprotection (image source - cyberpilot dot com)

Cybersecurity isn't just IT's responsibility—it's everyone's lifeline to protecting what matters. Here's why building a security-conscious culture is critical for your business's survival: → 95% of breaches start with human error. This isn't just a statistic—it represents real people, jobs, and livelihoods at risk when employees aren't prepared to spot threats. → With cybercrime costs projected to hit $10 trillion by 2025, the impact goes beyond just business losses—it affects employees' job security, customer trust, and families who depend on the business's success. → Security awareness must flow through every department. When everyone understands their role in protection, we create multiple layers of defense against threats. → Trust is earned through action. Customers choose businesses that demonstrate a commitment to protecting their data and privacy. Building this culture requires: ✔️ Leaders who champion security daily ✔️ Regular, engaging training that connects with real-world scenarios ✔️ Clear channels for reporting concerns without fear ✔️ Recognition for team members who strengthen our security posture Remember: In today's digital world, cybersecurity isn't an IT problem—it's a survival skill that protects jobs, families, and futures. Every employee plays a crucial role in safeguarding not just data, but livelihoods. What steps are you taking to make security awareness part of your company's DNA? 🔒

One of our clients lost $30K to a BEC scam before they came to us for security training. The crazy part? They were lucky – Most victims of business email compromise fraud lose at least $150K. Their story isn’t unique: - A team member got an email from the finance department of a regular vendor - Saying, “Hey, we need you to pay your next invoice to this new account” - Turns out the new account was some hacker’s foreign bank account I’ve seen this kind of fraud destroy companies – They can’t recover from their financial losses. Or their reputation is too damaged by the incident. Sure, our client was lucky last time – but they can’t afford to go through it again. So we’re training their team to use this simple security process: 1️⃣If you have access to a company’s bank account 2️⃣And are asked to make a payment or to change payment information 3️⃣Use a secondary form of communication to confirm the request And we’ll keep improving their security with our continuous program, which sends out short trainings at a consistent pace. Because research shows that security training is forgotten if: → It’s not repeated regularly → The program is too long (aka boring) The FBI announced that $50B has been lost to BEC scams over the past 9 years, domestically and internationally. Don’t add to that number. Have you ever had a close call with an email scam? Tell me about it in the comments ⬇️

130 employees. 1 IT security person. A phishing attack. No, this isn't a horror movie. It's a Tuesday at a fast-growing fintech startup. When they reached out, they were in crisis mode. One overworked security professional was trying to protect an entire company from phishing attacks. Hiring a CISO would cost $250K+ annually. Complex security tools would take months to implement. We stepped in. Within 48 hours, we transformed their employees into active defenders. When someone clicked a simulated phishing email, they received immediate, personalized training. The math is simple: effective training = stronger security culture = fewer breaches. Within 90 days, their click-through rate on phishing attempts dropped by 87%. Likely, this story has a happy ending. The lesson? Stop seeing security training as compliance. Start seeing it as your competitive advantage. --------------------------------------------------- I'm Mary, making cybersecurity training accessible and engaging for everyone. Follow for practical tips to protect yourself and your organization from digital threats. Let's make security second nature, not second priority!

Why Continuous Cybersecurity Training Isn't Just a Good Idea—It's Necessary Are your cybersecurity training sessions just annual checkmarks? That approach might not be enough. In our latest video, I dive into why effective training must be continuous and engaging, happening in small, manageable chunks each week. We've seen that the traditional once or twice a year training tends to lead to quick forgetting. To combat this, training should not only instruct but also test employees regularly on what to do, what to avoid, and how to identify suspicious activities. This ongoing process helps build resilience against phishing and other social engineering attacks, keeping employees alert and informed at all times. Continuous training ensures that cybersecurity awareness stays fresh and top of mind, making it one of the best defenses against cyber threats. How does your organization handle cybersecurity training? Have you found more frequent training sessions to be effective at keeping your team vigilant? #Cyberthreat #CybersecurityCompliance #DefenseIndustry #CyberRiskManagement #CybersecurityTraining