October is National Cyber Security Awareness month, and this week is the perfect time to revisit the importance of cyber awareness. Being cyber-aware helps protect us from the dangers and scams we often discuss here on the blog. Technology solutions like virus protection and firewalls aren’t perfect, but it is the user that is most often the weakest link in an organization’s security chain. Scammers knows this and try to exploit human weakness rather than system flaws. And while there is no perfect solution here either, one of our best defenses is raising the awareness level of each employee.

How often should you train employees?

Cyber awareness is a necessary part of an organization’s success. Without it, great products or services, streamlined business processes, and timely delivery can all be stymied by a single employee’s mistake. Remember, one misguided click or reused password can lead to a breach of sensitive data or a ransomware attack.

Most experts agree that annual cyber awareness training isn’t enough. More frequent reminders are needed to keep cyber awareness at the front of employees’ minds. When cyber security is in the foreground, instead of the background, employees are more likely to make security-minded decisions that help keep the organization’s network safe. That might be deleting a suspicious email rather than clicking a link, or using a strong, unique password to protect their work account rather than reusing a password from another account.

Our Bite-sized Security Awareness program delivers tips on a wide range of cyber security issues from phishing to passwords to current events at an interval that works for the organization. When it comes to phishing awareness, an interactive program like Bite-sized Phish and Learn can condition employees to evaluate each email before clicking.

Regardless of the method you choose, we hope you share the importance of cyber awareness with colleagues and friends!