A recent UK Government survey which detailed the costs and impacts of cyber attacks found (in the last 12 months): 61% of businesses were victims of cyber attacks, the most common attacks were from phishing emails and 80% were phishing attacks and breaches. However, only 37% of business train their employees in how to identify and avoid phishes.
Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019
We are patently aware of the far-reaching consequence of a data breach, be it legislative fines or a massive reputational hit (negative PR and loss of business), but are we missing a trick when it comes to fighting back? It seems likely. The same UK Government survey 2019 also states that “The indirect costs, long-term costs and intangible costs of breaches – things like lost productivity or reputational damage – tend to be overlooked. This means that when organisations reflect on their approaches to cyber security, they may be undervaluing the true cost and impact of cyber security breaches”.
If you want to protect your assets by significantly reducing your cyber risk you need to provide your workforce with an understanding of the threats that they are frequently exposed to; phishing, ransomware, malware, social engineering and insecure networks, to name but a few, and empower them with the knowledge of how to avoid them.
“A company’s employees are its greatest asset”, Richard Branson.
Your staff were employed for a reason, often highly skilled and very capable of doing their jobs.
However, expecting them to have an innate knowledge of, and the ability to keep up with, the rapidly shifting threat landscape is not only unfair but also unrealistic. With training, your employees become a security asset rather than an area of risk. It’s time to strengthen your human firewall.
Empower your greatest assets with Savanti
Read our latest blog, ‘How to educate your staff in Cyber Security' for an overview of the importance of educating your employees.
We can help change your employees’ security behaviour and reduce your risk now, and we would be very happy to support you on this journey, please get in touch – info@savanti.co.uk or visit the chat function on our website: www.savanti.co.uk
