The Best Weapon Against Cyber Security Could be Staff Training

Cyber security is in the news once again, and it makes me wonder whether or not organizations are doing enough staff training to combat the growing threats.

The increasingly relevant upswing of recent cyber attacks culminated last month in what is now known as the largest ransomware attack to date. WannaCry crippled computers worldwide, taking out the UK’s national healthcare system and causing devastating damage. The exploit the attackers used had been stolen from the NSA and published by a hacking group called the Shadow Brokers.

To add insult to injury, the software creators were amateurs who didn’t properly link people’s payments to the encrypted computers, which means most people who paid the ransom never recovered their files.

Productivity down

When an employee opens an infected email and inadvertently circumvents antivirus security and any other layers of protection we add in, it can bring a businesses network to a standstill. Recovering all the files from backups can take a day or longer depending on the extent of the infection. Work is lost and has to be recreated. The staff has to work overtime to make up for the lost productivity. Money is lost. It’s disruptive to people’s lives and upsets their work-life balance.

Humans succeed where tech fails

Physical security is not the end-all, be-all defense; really, your best and last line of defense is a well-trained, aware and vigilant workforce. It would be great if an IT company could just install a simple program on your network to prohibit attacks, but, like the fire department, IT companies often have to respond to emergencies and cannot always prevent them.

In order to push back against the assault on your company’s productivity, you need to train your employees to build good online habits.

Training your first line of defense

The good news is as hackers employ increasingly sophisticated methods to commit cybercrime, the tools at our disposal to combat cybercrime have also grown increasingly sophisticated. For example, there is a new user training and awareness tool developed by a world-renowned hacker that combines real life scenarios with lessons aimed at removing the human error element that cybercriminals prey on.

Perspective shift

We all say we want protection and know that investing in training improves the bottom line and enhances our productivity, but in the moment, it feels like more time than we can afford to spend. However, as an MSP, we see advanced user training like mandatory antivirus software: it’s too effective and critical to opt-out. We have witnessed first-hand that this level of training will provide immediate protection for your business.

It isn’t just about installing more software on your computers anymore. This time, it’s about becoming savvy.

 

Russ Levanway is a sought-after public speaker, technology expert, and community leader. As the CEO of an ever-growing managed services provider with offices in both San Luis Obispo and Fresno, Russ’s goal is to sustain and grow an IT company that provides incredible value for clients, and a great workplace for his team. When not charting out the future for TekTegrity, Russ serves on several non-profit boards, volunteers at the People’s Kitchen and travels the world with his wife and two daughters.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!