Five reasons employee awareness of cybersecurity is crucial

Employees have access to critical data, and their actions and awareness are key to your company’s cybersecurity defense, according to Total IT. Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report shows 74% of data breaches were caused by human error.

An employee’s lack of cybersecurity awareness can result in significant financial and reputational damage to your company. Total IT offers the following five reasons you should prioritize employees’ cybersecurity awareness.

1. Protection against phishing attacks and insider threats. Phishing scams involve attackers tricking employees into sharing sensitive information, such as login credentials. Educate your employees regarding how to identify and report phishing attempts.
2. Safeguarding sensitive data. When you educate employees regarding the proper handling of sensitive data, such as customer information, you can prevent accidental exposure and protect your company from regulatory fines and legal repercussions.
3. Ensuring regulatory compliance. Regulatory bodies require organizations to implement proper security measures to protect sensitive data. It is crucial your employees are aware of these measures.
4. Encouraging a culture of security. When you promote cybersecurity awareness among employees, you create a culture of security within your company and give employees a sense of responsibility and accountability.
5. Reducing security incidents and downtime. A successful cyberattack can cause significant downtime for your business, resulting in financial losses and decreased productivity. Cybersecurity awareness can help thwart these attacks.

You can implement cybersecurity awareness at your company by conducting regular training sessions with employees; providing simulated phishing attacks to help them learn how to identify and respond to potential threats; creating a security policy that outlines expectations for employee behavior; encouraging reporting of suspicious activity; and leading by example by ensuring upper management and leadership teams also are educated regarding cybersecurity protocols.