Should this even be a question you are considering as a business owner?

If you are not already allocating money in your budget for Security Awareness Training or at least talking about Cyber Security with your personnel, there is a good chance you will be out of business soon.

Importance of Security Awareness Training

According to study conducted by Solutionz Security  

 “Six out of Ten SMBs that are victims of Cybercrime fail within 6 months.”

This shouldn’t be a surprise as more and more business practices become heavily dependent on technology and personnel are still learning about digital literacy.

The reason why SMBs go out of business within 6 months after experiencing a cyber-attack is a lack of resources, lack of funding, and education. In my experience, I have seen organizations (particularly) small businesses not even have something as simple as Security Onboarding Training that gives employees the do’s and don’ts for digital assets. Employee Onboarding often includes a section discussing how sharing company data is against policy but we as businesses rarely cover how to protect that same data? If you’re not sure where to start with Cyber Security Awareness Training for your business, you can schedule a chat here.

Internet-Enabled Devices & Digital Vulnerabilities

Truth is, our personal and business lives continue to be even more dependent on internet-enabled devices. This means the attack surface is increasing, which ultimately increases your risk of attack. Consider these as potential vulnerabilities, how do you protect yourself from them? 

Think about how many devices you & your household are using (average of 3 internet-enabled devices?). Now multiply that by the number of employees you have (2-10? 50-100?). That’s a pretty significant attack surface to protect yourself against & prevent data breaches!

Cost-Effective Trainings Reduce the Risk of Attack

One question business leaders should be asking themselves is what are some cost-effective ways to reduce the risk of attack?

Well, one overlooked best practice that would drastically decrease the risk of an attack on your corporate assets is to adopt and implement a Security Awareness Training and Education program. A program that doesn’t just check some federal guideline box but one that aims to educate, train, and shift the cyberculture of your organization. One that deeply resonates with your personnel way beyond a traditional CBT (computer-based training) or 5-minute tricky rhetorical quiz.

Shifting the cyberculture begins in the C-suite! Having leaders who understand the technology and the risks associated is one thing, however, having leaders who invest in training their employees are the ones with the lowest risk of losing valuable time, money, & resources.

To those who don’t have an official program, I raise a few questions:

1.) What are you doing to decrease the risk of a cyber-attack?

2.) How much money and time have you spent on Security Awareness Training and Education?

If you are a CEO of an organization and you can’t formulate an answer for these 2 questions in a few seconds, chances are you are a part of that 69% of businesses who will struggle in the case of a Cyber Attack. 

The Costs of Trainings vs. The Costs of a Cyber Attack

According to a report conducted by Verizon “86% of digital security breaches were financially motivated”.

This means if you own a business you could potentially be targeted by an attacker. My favorite phrase I love to hear from CEO’s as I am highlighting the importance of a Security Awareness Program is “We don’t have anything that someone would want to steal” (chuckles on the inside). I’m not sure why business owners believe they are above the “I will never get Cyber Attacked” line, that’s why we focus so hard on education in our processes. Truth is, your personal data & professional data has value no matter the size of your company or number of devices.

For a second let’s pretend your home is your business, with the current status of your cyber posture, what would you grade your security?

Did you spend money on a security system to protect your physical belongings? Ever been a victim of theft?

Your digital belongings are just as important to protect! From your Personal Identifiable Information to bank records, anything is fair game for hackers targeting businesses & their personnel. 

Think about the value of that information, think of the value of your customer’s data. Truth is, small businesses often are the most targeted because hackers know larger corporations have a Cyber Security Program in place. Take the time to review your security strategy. Have you reduced your vulnerabilities through Security Awareness Trainings?

Cyber Security Awareness Sources:

Solutionz Security: 

Verizon: 

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