FEATURE : TRAINING
at hand and to actively participate to minimize the risks posed .
Taking ownership of cyber-resilience across the whole organization
For employees of all backgrounds , it ’ s reassuring to know of on-going investment in new technologies and detection methods to help meet a variety of cybersecurity challenges , from blocking threats by mal-actors or nation states to hiring enough security staff to safeguard employees and businesses online .
However , it has never been more crucial that every employee takes ownership of their online behaviors . This is because the most common threat , phishing attacks , are at record highs given the disruption and opportunity that the on-going pandemic presents , and the employee is often the direct target .
In fact , research conducted during the pandemic detailing online behaviors and clicks habits found that in Australia and New Zealand , one in five people reported receiving phishing emails specifically related to COVID-19 . 76 % of respondents also admitted to opening emails from unknown senders , with over half ( 59 %) blaming it on the fact that phishing emails look more realistic than ever .
It takes time to reach a healthy level of cyberawareness but getting started has been made much simpler by awareness training toolsets or programs . The effects are cumulative and can be measured from day one .
Fostering suspicion into day-to-day online business routines , as well as simple steps such as using unique and strong passwords for all logins , disabling macros from a document and removing admin access from devices can keep end-users safe from a range of common threats . Efforts in building the right employee awareness and behavior should be spearheaded by the CIO and CISO and senior leadership needs to buy in to encourage lasting change . Employees should receive routine updates on cyber-resilience initiatives
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