Gone are the days of keeping a baseball bat behind the register and investing in secure vaults. There is a new breed of criminal mastermind. Just as any recent spy film will tell you – they don’t exist in the physical world. The internet has given us instant access to so much information and transformed the way we do business. But sadly these advances come at a price. No business today can operate without having security measures in place to protect its data and staff from cyber-attacks.
To quote Sandra Bullocks’ Leigh Anne Tuohy “The first cheque you write is for the mortgage, but the second is for the insurance”. Truer words have not been spoken. Especially when it comes to protecting your business. The smarter technology gets, the more options there are for skilled hackers. They can infiltrate private systems and compromise, or worse, you or your clients’ information. These days, malware and identity theft are just a few clicks away.
What you can expect in this article:
The importance of cyber security training
Cyber security training needs to become a key component in any business, be it a startup or an established company. Keeping businesses secure, especially in light of GDPR compliance, must be in-built into the infrastructure and monitored daily. It’s easy to think that, if there’s an IT department, surely everyone’s data and workstations are safe. But the reality is that cyber security is quite a niche knowledge base. Being an expert at tech support doesn’t necessarily mean someone is an expert in security. It’s up to the individuals comprising the company to be on the lookout for cyber threats. Something the average person will likely know next to nothing about!
We all look for additional skill sets when hiring new staff. It’s super important that new IT recruits have at least some rudimentary knowledge of cyber security. But odds are, it’s not the tech wizards, who know what they’re doing, that are going to compromise a company’s security, it’s the rest of the staff. It is unlikely you will find someone who is an expert in your field as well as cyber competent. Company-wide cyber security training would be a huge asset to your business.
Encourage awareness in your business
There are plenty of straightforward tricks of the trade that make a big difference to a system’s defences. Changing your password often, choosing complex or “strong” passwords or having multi-factor authentication. Learning how to spot red flags, such as dodgy emails with questionable images or language. Access to efficient tech support is key to stopping issues before they become too big. So too is nurturing an atmosphere of transparency. So employees don’t feel stressed about clicking on something they shouldn’t. All these elements can significantly reduce the risk of breaches for your business. So ensuring all your staff have at least a fundamental understanding of best practices is key.
TryHackMe.com is one such amazing resource that can turn learning cyber security into a piece of cake. With over 700,000 users, TryHackMe offers training in cyber security for users of all levels. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned pro. So you can be sure of having top quality training and support wherever you are based. And even if you’re frequently on the go. The TryHackMe blog also offers lots of invaluable information, from the latest news, advice on best practices, additional training support and community testimonials.
Introducing the Advent Of Cyber
Getting people excited and amped up to try something that seems so challenging can be a bit of a hurdle, but TryHackMe has come up with a genius way to get people not only really into learning this field but doing so in a fun way that engages absolutely everyone. Say hello to the “Advent of Cyber” – a free advent calendar of daily activities that runs as a training course from 1st December through to Christmas.
This dynamic series of training labs comes with a user-friendly interface and educates through the use of games that are simple enough to get even the most hesitant of beginners hooked. The activities also come with delightful incentives to keep you motivated, with various prizes to be won as you complete the different levels. All those participating and completing the calendar will be entered into a prize draw, with lots of goodies to be claimed, from vouchers to gadgets to passes for more advanced training courses that will earn you an official certification at the end.
By signing up, you can turn the chilly run-up to Christmas into an awesome, festive challenge for your whole team. Not only will they learn those crucial core skills that could make all the difference in protecting your business going forward but they will no doubt be motivated to keep building on these skills and becoming cyber security pros in no time – which will be a team that’ll help take your company to the next level and definitely give you an edge over the competition!
A well-informed workforce will not only feel empowered from learning a valuable new skill but will collectively safeguard the future of your business.
