Everyone deserves to be safe and secure online. It’s a right, not a privilege.

That’s why we spent all October encouraging organizations to protect their online identity with preventative action. So, without further adieu, here’s a Seiso-certified recap of our tips and tricks for Cybersecurity Awareness: 

Step 1: Define Cybersecurity Awareness

What is Cybersecurity Awareness? 

For starters, what it isn’t: A one-person show. It’s an entire-workforce-including-CEO-and-Entry-Level-kind-of show.

That may be an obvious one, but let’s break it down. Awareness is more than training. It’s one that focuses on outcomes — like building habits for safety. 

Awareness is a mindset — it requires personal and organizational accountability across many domains. Machine security, password discipline, and data privacy to name a few. 

Good cybersecurity is part of your culture. 

How do you change your culture? By designating time to open and honest conversations with your entire organization. 

But why? When your superior asks this question, we’ll have you prepared to answer. 

Why does Cybersecurity Awareness matter? 

Fact: Time is your greatest investment in your cybersecurity program, not money.

Also fact: 2-3 hours once per year is not enough time to do what your program needs.

Good Security Awareness happens year-around because the true cost of a breach includes loss of reputation and possibly your business.

The bottom line? Be proactive 365 days a year so security doesn’t negatively impact your organization’s bottom line.

Stats Credit: https://www.proofpoint.com/us/resources/threat-reports/state-of-phish

Step 2: Get Past Program Blockers to Get Started

What’s Preventing You from Integrating a Successful Security Program?

Do you relate to any of these factors? Maybe all of them?

The good news? You’re not alone. Resources, lack of alignment, training and behavioral problems are common and simple to address.

Pro-tips:

1. Get your key stakeholders in a room together and get aligned on problems. Be honest and open.
2. Designate time to your security frequently (more than once per year!).

What happens when your organization overcomes resistance to Security Awareness training? 

You get to work. 

Develop your workforce’s security mindset through focused training and professional development. 

By adding Security Awareness to your employee’s skill set, you improve your security posture at its weakest point: humans.

Step 3: Design Your Training & Development Plan

How do I get my workforce interested in Security Awareness?

Security Awareness training can be fun (no, really)!

Pro-tips from Seiso:

1. Keep material rotational and fresh.
2. Add raffles, games, lunch & learn sessions, posters, or videos. As they say, the medium is the message. Determine the best training type for your workforce — web-based, in-person, correspondence, or group-based.
3. Break training up (maybe every 90 days?!) to make content digestible.

How do I get my workforce to respond appropriately when a security incident does occur?

Security breaches are commonplace, but no two breaches are alike.

That’s why preparation is key to your response. How well developed is your Incident Response (IR) plan?

If you have one, test it. If not, create one and make your team own it.

Need an IR plan? We can always help with that.

Now that you’re an expert in Cybersecurity Awareness (well, getting there) and how to get your workforce to understand its importance too, you’ve been promoted to the final — but ongoing — step.

Step 4: Post-Integration

How do I manage my Security Awareness plan, development and training? 

As Peter Drucker, business management theorist, once put it: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”

At Seiso, we refer to this as ‘continuous process improvement.’

Here are key metrics to track the health of your Security Awareness:

1. Frequency of “risky” employee behavior and incidents
2. Phishing email failures
3. Employee attendance and completion of trainings

Now what, Seiso? 

Well, we’ve created your Cybersecurity Awareness Checklist for your convenience.

Take a screenshot, save and email throughout your business, share with your clients.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve been pushing hard for you to create accountability for data security in your workplace.

Now that you’re ready, we’d love to talk about getting started.