Cybersecurity Awareness Training for Employees

Having anti-virus software DOES NOT give you a free pass against phishing threats.  They do not prevent your users from falling for sophisticated social engineering attacks. No amount of legacy anti-virus software can stop an employee from entering their Office 365 credentials into a devious phishing site.  Or keep an executive from approving a multi-million dollar fraudulent transaction.  Phishing has evolved way beyond just malware delivery. Increasingly, it's a complex, multi-vector con job targeting your most important asset - your people.  Phishers don't always need an infected device to succeed; just uninformed recipients. Here are 4 steps you can take to mitigate risks:   1. 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬: Regular training sessions with mock phishing scenarios can help employees recognize and avoid phishing attempts. This is crucial as phishing attacks often rely on tricking users into giving away their information. 2. 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐎𝐛𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: This is a technique where the information presented to potential attackers is constantly changing, making it difficult for them to gain a foothold. It can be particularly effective in protecting against phishing attacks that rely on gathering information about the system or the users. 3. 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐌𝐅𝐀): While MFA is a common recommendation, using a phishing-resistant MFA adds an extra layer of security. This could involve using hardware tokens or biometric data, which are much harder for a phishing attack to replicate. 4. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Invest in a comprehensive, multi-layered, anti-phishing security solution that covers all aspects of your business. That means adding a specialist cloud email security solution like MailGuard, to your email security stack.   Modern phishing protection must blend cutting-edge technology with comprehensive security awareness.  Believing otherwise is the real virus that can leave you vulnerable.

The 10 Things Every Anti-Phishing Course Must Have 1) Variety and Relevance - Should include a mix of text, video, interactive quizzes, and simulations to cater to diverse learning styles and keep learners engaged. 2) Real-World Examples - Should be based on real-world attacks and examples rather than unlikely scenarios. 3) Interactive Elements -Interactive simulations and quizzes engage many people more deeply than passive forms of learning. 4) Microlearning - Breaking down the course content into short, focused segments helps maintain learners’ attention and facilitates better information retention. 5) What to do to Report -  Should provide clear, step-by-step instructions on reporting processes within your company to ensure relevant IT or security teams address the threat efficiently. 6) User-Friendliness -  Should be intuitive and accessible to users regardless of their technical proficiency 7) Frequent Updates - Phishing tactics evolve constantly, and anti-phishing courses must be updated regularly to reflect up-to-date threats and advice. 8) Must be Data Driven - Should leverage available information about employee risk based on analytics to deliver different levels of training to high-risk and low-risk employees.  9) Mobile Security Awareness - Should cover the unique vulnerabilities of mobile devices and go into detail on common SMS phishing scams such as fake authentication requests. 10) Measurable Results - It’s essential to assess the effectiveness of anti-phishing courses through metrics and analytics that track improvements in learners’ ability to identify and respond to phishing attempts. #cybersecurity #phishing #learning Source: "10 Essentials Every Anti-Phishing Course Must Have" Security Boulevard Nitzan Gursky

Let's talk #securityculture and how it impacts your organization's #cyberresiliency. I love this Forbes take on the simple and relatable depiction of the 'planting, care and feeding' of a security culture and the compounding affects it has on an organizations ability to weather the storm of a cyber related incident. "Just as the immune system helps protect against harmful bacteria and viruses, organizations too need to build immunity to not only defend against external and internal threats, but to train people and build the processes and technologies to respond, recover, learn and emerge stronger from cyberattacks, disruptions, leaks and data breaches." So where do you start? and just as importantly, where do you stop? 🛑 Stop checking the Security Awareness Training box for compliance. Not only are you creating an environment where employees are lacking in engagement, you aren't driving any meaningful impact toward managing risk. 🛑 Stop waiting until October's official Security Awareness month to start. Cue the corny memes and splashy vendor events. While fun and sometimes entertaining, this celebratory month doesn't create a magical shift in the atmosphere that suddenly makes your employees care more about security. 🛑 Stop using FUD, threatening to remove access or even worse - terminating a staff member if they fall for a phishing test. If you do this, you may never recover your reputation with your organization and will likely only increase your risk of insider threat. ✅ Do introduce face to face security training to your staff on day 1 of their employment. Not only are you setting them up for success with understanding the ins and outs of your expectations around security posture, you're creating a safe space and allowing them to put a face with a name. This ensures they not only know who to go to when they need to, but they feel safe in doing so. ✅ Do tailor your security awareness by understanding how and what your business needs to succeed. Take the time to understand how every leader, department and team defines and measures success. By making security awareness personal to the goals and objectives of your business, you will be more successful in obtaining alignment and buy-in. ✅ Do try new things. Be inclusive and recognize that everyone has different learning styles and preferred ways of consuming information. Mix up live trainings with quick videos or monthly newsletters. Drop an "infosec tip of the week" in a slack or teams message or carve out 5 minutes at a quarterly all-hands. ✅ Do make an impact. Help people understand whats in it for them. Building a security culture is not just about benefiting your business. Its about benefiting society. Teach your staff lessons that will not only help them be successful in their time at your organization, but for years to come. https://lnkd.in/gsEaa-Cn

Questions I have been asked about the new Breach Secure Now Microsoft 365 Productivity Training Launch: “Art, BSN is the MSP channel leader in cybersecurity awareness training. Why would you not keep focusing on cybersecurity? Won’t productivity distract you from your core offerings?” This is an excellent question and one I have thought about for a long time. We are actually addressing M365 training in 2 ways. 1. Productivity training: helping employees get the most out of the platform. Teaching them new features, tips, shortcuts and best practices. Helping SMBs get the most ROI from their M365 investment. 2. M365 Cybersecurity training: we are driving our security training deeper into the tools that employees use the most, M365. Over the last 8 years we have done a good job raising awareness of the need for employee cybersecurity training. We have educated 1M users on social engineering, phishing and various scams. We have addressed cybersecurity at a high level, focusing on raising awareness. With M365 training we can drive the security training deeper into the tools employees use. Here are some examples Educate employees about the different macro security settings available in Excel and the implications of each setting. Explain the risks associated with enabling macros, especially from unknown sources. Secure sharing of Microsoft Word or PowerPoint documents with colleagues and external parties, Best password and data protection practices in Microsoft Excel and Word Educate on best practices for secure communication within Microsoft Teams, including the use of private channels for sensitive discussions and understanding how guest access and external sharing settings should be managed. Explain the concept of Data Loss Prevention policies in M365 and how they help prevent sensitive information from being accidentally shared outside the organization. By driving cybersecurity education into the M365 tools, we are going from generic security awareness to application specific cybersecurity. It is a needed evolution in Security Awareness Training (SAT). It is time to move beyond “awareness” to true “cybersecurity education”. So with all this said, our focus on cybersecurity is strengthening with our new M365 training. This is a good thing for our MSP partners and their clients.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, it's clear that technology alone isn't enough. A robust security culture, where every employee is a Guardian, is essential. The Behavioral Security Model, a concept gaining traction in the industry, offers a compelling approach: 👉Knowledge: Move beyond one-size-fits-all training. Provide personalized, engaging education that empowers employees to understand and mitigate risks specific to their roles. 👉Context: Tailor security measures and tools to individual needs, recognizing that different employees face different challenges. 👉Motivation: Foster a sense of ownership and engagement in cybersecurity. Leadership buy-in and gamification can be powerful motivators. 👉Behavior: Encourage the development of secure habits through continuous learning and reinforcement. This holistic approach recognizes that employees are not vulnerabilities but valuable assets in the fight against cybercrime. By investing in their knowledge, understanding their context, motivating their engagement, and nurturing secure behaviors, we build a human firewall that's far more resilient than any software solution. What's your take on the Behavioral Security Model? How do you think it can be effectively implemented in today's organizations? Share your thoughts below! #Cybersecurity #SecurityCulture #BehavioralSecurity #HumanFirewall #EmployeeEngagement

Tailored training and education is one of the greatest weapons we have as cybersecurity professionals and needs to be leveraged. Having basic training that isn't personalized, but required, is better than no training/education but in my experience, having department (or role) based training is exponentially more impactful. We need to incentivize our user populations by answering the "what's in it for me" or "why should I care" questions. Also, we need to stop taking technical teams for granted and assuming they surely "get it" when it comes to cybersecurity best practices, your organization's policies and procedures, etc. If you've ever worked closely with even the most talented, technical administrators, you know that they are just as prone to making mistakes or moving too quickly without thinking through ramifications of their decisions. Often, the consequences of mistakes for administrators with "keys to the kingdom" permissions can be more substantial than a Sales department user clicking on a phishing email... #cybersecurity #ciso #biso #training #securityawareness #securityawarenesstraining

📌 Understanding the Small Business Cybersecurity Landscape 📌 Small businesses are often targeted because they typically have fewer security measures in place compared to larger enterprises. It's crucial to understand that the risk of cyber attacks is real and that taking proactive steps can significantly reduce these risks. 🛡️ Basic Protection Measures 1. Software Updates: Regularly update your apps, web browsers, and operating systems to close security gaps. 2. Data Backup: Back up important files offline or in the cloud to prevent data loss from cyber incidents. 3. Strong Passwords & MFA: Use complex passwords and implement multi-factor authentication to enhance access security. 4. Secure Devices: Encrypt devices and restrict physical access to sensitive data. 🔐 Securing Your Network 1. Router Security: Change default router settings and use strong encryption protocols like WPA2 or WPA3. 2. Strong Password Policies: Ensure passwords are unique and difficult to guess, and never reuse them across different platforms. 3. Employee Training: Foster a security-aware culture by regularly updating employees on new threats and security practices. 📑 NIST Cybersecurity Framework Utilize the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to build a robust security posture through the steps of Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. This framework helps prioritize cybersecurity measures and allocate resources effectively. 💻 Protecting Against Common Threats 1. Phishing: Educate employees about recognizing and avoiding phishing attempts. Always verify the authenticity of unexpected emails or messages. 2. Ransomware: Regularly back up data and have a response plan in place. Consider the risks carefully before deciding to pay a ransom. 3. Physical Security: Secure physical access to sensitive data and devices to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. 🚀 Moving Forward: By implementing these cybersecurity measures, small businesses can significantly reduce the risk of cyber threats and ensure they are prepared to respond effectively if an attack occurs. Stay informed and proactive to protect your business and customer data. 💡Educate yourself, stay vigilant, and share to strengthen our collective defense!🔒 📥 Download the PDF from the post. 📲 Mobile device: 🔹 Tap the book image 🔹 Tap the download icon on the upper right 💻 Desktop: 🔹 Mouse over the book icon 🔹 Click in the box on the lower right 🔹 Click the download icon on the upper right #Cybersecurity #SmallBusiness #CyberManDan

If you own or operate a small business don’t overthink cybersecurity… Build a security program that focuses on being -> brilliant at the basics. Quick guide on the basics your small business should focus on to destroy ROI for cyber criminals - …Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)… MFA adds an extra layer of defense and makes it harder for bad actors to gain access even if they have your username and password. …Regular Employee Education… Educating staff on recognizing phishing attempts and practicing safe online behavior is crucial. An educated team is your best line of defense. -> Humans are NOT the weak link – they are the assets we are trying to protect. Educate them! <- …Invest in Regular Security Assessments… Regular assessments will identify weaknesses and issues before bad actors do. …Update and Patch Regularly… Keep all software up to date to protect against known weaknesses. …Develop a Response Plan… Are you secure? Probably not. But you can be resilient! Having a clear and tested plan in case of a breach will significantly minimize damage and costs. …Data Encryption… Encrypt sensitive data and make it useless for attackers if they manage to breach your systems. …Use a VPN for Remote Access… A VPN helps secure remote connections and makes it difficult for bad actors to intercept data. Be consistently brilliant at these basics – …and most bad actors will simply go away and knock on your neighbor’s door. #ciso #smallbusiness #cybersecurity #gmi