In today’s workplaces, it is essential for everyone to be aware of cybersecurity and have some training based on their level of responsibility. Suppose you are considering becoming a cybersecurity professional and completing the Network Engineer program at CyberTex. In that case, you need to know who needs cybersecurity awareness training and what some of that training should look like.
Who Needs Cybersecurity Awareness Training?
Cybersecurity awareness training is essential for everyone in an organization, but the level of detail and focus should vary depending on job responsibilities. Here’s a breakdown of who needs training and the type of knowledge they require:
General Employees (All Staff)
Employees who use computers, email, or online systems for daily tasks.
Training should focus on:
Basic Awareness: Importance of cybersecurity for organizational safety.
Phishing Awareness: Recognizing suspicious emails, links, and attachments.
Password Hygiene: Creating strong passwords and using multi-factor authentication.
Device Security: Locking devices, avoiding public Wi-Fi, and preventing unauthorized access.
Data Protection: Handling sensitive information securely and following company policies.
Managers and Team Leaders
This includes supervisors responsible for team oversight and decision-making. Training should focus on:
Policy Enforcement: Ensuring their team follows cybersecurity policies and practices.
Incident Reporting: Recognizing and escalating security issues quickly.
Risk Awareness: Understanding how team behaviors can impact organizational security.
Data Management: Properly handling sensitive data related to team projects or reports.
IT and Technical Staff
This includes employees managing networks, systems, and technical infrastructure. Their training should consist of:
Advanced Security Knowledge: Understanding system vulnerabilities and defense mechanisms.
Incident Response: Detecting and mitigating cybersecurity threats or breaches.
System Hardening: Ensuring secure configurations for hardware, software, and networks.
Threat Monitoring: Identifying and analyzing suspicious activities or anomalies.
Compliance: Ensuring IT systems meet regulatory and organizational standards.
Executives and Senior Leadership
This includes the executives shaping organizational strategies and goals.
High-Level Awareness: Understanding the business impact of cybersecurity risks.
Strategic Decision-Making: Prioritizing cybersecurity investments and policies.
Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring adherence to laws, regulations, and industry standards.
Incident Management: Leading organizational responses to data breaches or cyber incidents.
Reputation Risk: Recognizing the potential damage of security breaches to the organization’s image.
Specialized Roles (e.g., Finance, HR, Legal)
This includes employees handling sensitive or high-risk information (e.g., payroll, personal data, contracts). Training should focus on:
Role-Specific Risks: Protecting financial systems, personal data, or legal documents.
Fraud Prevention: Recognizing social engineering and business email compromise (BEC) scams.
Regulatory Knowledge: Understanding specific data protection laws like GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA.
Contractors and Third-Party Vendors
It is also important for external partners accessing company systems or data to have the following training:
Access Policies: Understanding and following the organization’s cybersecurity requirements.
Data Handling: Securely manage any organizational data they access.
Limited Access: Ensuring permissions are restricted to what’s necessary for their role.
What are Some Tips for Cybersecurity Awareness?
Everyone in an organization needs to be familiar with cybersecurity.
Tip #1: Use Strong, Unique Passwords
Create complex passwords with a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid reusing passwords across multiple accounts. Use a password manager to store and generate passwords securely.
Tip #2: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Requiring a second form of authentication (e.g., a mobile app, text message, or biometric verification) adds an extra layer of security.
Tip #3: Be Wary of Phishing Attacks
Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown or suspicious emails. Verify the sender’s email address carefully, especially in unexpected messages.
Tip #4: Keep Software Updated
Regularly update operating systems, browsers, and other software to patch vulnerabilities. Enable automatic updates when possible.
Tip #5: Follow Organization-Specific Policies
Familiarize yourself with your company’s IT and cybersecurity policies. Use approved tools and avoid installing unverified software.
Tip #6: Secure Your Devices
Lock your computer or device when you leave your desk. Use strong passwords or biometric locks on all devices. Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive work unless connected through a secure VPN.
Tip #7: Be Cautious with USB Drives and External Devices
Avoid plugging in unknown USB drives or external devices. Use only organization-approved storage devices.
Tip #8: Protect Sensitive Information
Avoid sharing sensitive information over unsecured channels. Be mindful of who can see your screen or overhear conversations.
Tip #9: Report Suspicious Activity
Inform the IT department immediately if you notice unusual behavior on your computer, suspect a phishing attempt, or lose a device.
Tip #10: Back Up Important Data
Ensure critical files are backed up regularly as part of the organization’s backup strategy. Store backups securely and test them periodically.
Tip #11: Stay Educated
Participate in cybersecurity training offered by your organization. Stay updated on the latest threats and best practices.
Why is Cybersecurity Awareness Important?
Cybersecurity training is important because it ensures employees receive relevant, actionable knowledge that directly applies to their roles, helping to build a secure organization. Here are key reasons why training matters:
Focus on Role-Specific Risks
Different roles in an organization face unique cybersecurity challenges. For example:
• General Employees must be alert to phishing scams, as they’re often the first target.
• IT Staff need to address system vulnerabilities and advanced threat vectors.
• Finance Teams are at high risk of fraud, such as business email compromise (BEC) or invoice scams.
Tailored training educates employees on the risks they are likely to encounter, reducing the chance of security breaches caused by unprepared or uninformed actions.
Maximizing Retention and Engagement
Generic training can overwhelm or disengage employees if the content feels irrelevant. Tailored programs focus on scenarios employees can relate to, making understanding and retaining key concepts easier. Use examples and case studies that resonate with their daily tasks, creating a sense of personal relevance. Engaged employees are more likely to adopt secure behaviors consistently.
Efficient Use of Resources
Organizations often have limited time and resources to dedicate to training. Tailored programs avoid wasting time on irrelevant topics, deliver focused training to meet specific departmental needs, and ensure a cost-effective way of building a knowledgeable workforce, as employees spend less time on unnecessary content.
Reducing Human Error
Human error remains a leading cause of cybersecurity incidents. Tailored training addresses this by teaching role-specific best practices (e.g., secure email use for admin staff, privileged access management for IT) and highlighting relevant consequences of mistakes to create a sense of responsibility. The likelihood of errors is reduced when employees are equipped with cybersecurity knowledge specific to their roles.
Enhancing Compliance
Regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA often require specialized knowledge for compliance. Tailored training ensures that employees responsible for compliance (e.g., HR, legal, finance) understand their obligations, help meet regulatory training requirements, protect the organization from fines or legal action, and build trust with customers and stakeholders by demonstrating a commitment to secure practices.
Proactive Threat Mitigation
Cyber threats evolve, and training helps employees to address new risks effectively:
For IT Staff: Advanced training on emerging threats like zero-day vulnerabilities or ransomware.
For Executives: Education on strategic risks, such as supply chain attacks or reputational damage. Tailor-made training helps the organization stay one step ahead of potential threats by addressing specific risks in real time.
Fostering Trust with Stakeholders
Stakeholders expect organizations to maintain high-security client, partner, and regulator standards. Tailored training demonstrates a commitment to protecting sensitive data, reduces the risk of data breaches, which could harm relationships or lead to reputational damage, and builds confidence that the organization prioritizes security at every level.
Who Should Teach Cybersecurity to Employees of an Organization?
Teaching cybersecurity to employees is a critical task that requires expertise, clear communication skills, and an understanding of organizational needs. Different roles within an organization can handle this responsibility, depending on the situation. Here’s a breakdown of who should teach cybersecurity and why:
Internal IT or Cybersecurity Teams
Internal IT teams understand the organization’s infrastructure, tools, and vulnerabilities. They can tailor lessons to the organization’s policies, procedures, and shared risks. As in-house experts, they can answer follow-up questions or provide ongoing support. They are the best person for regular employee training sessions, explaining specific internal policies, tools, and procedures and addressing technical aspects for IT staff or advanced users.
External Cybersecurity Consultants
Consultants often have up-to-date knowledge of the latest threats and best practices. External trainers can objectively assess organizational risks and employee vulnerabilities. They can design and deliver training tailored to an organization’s industry or regulatory requirements. They are the best person for comprehensive training programs for employees across all levels, training on new trends, technologies, and external threat landscapes, and preparing for audits, certifications, or compliance requirements.
Managers and Team Leaders
Managers can reinforce cybersecurity practices within their teams’ daily workflows. Employees are more likely to follow secure behaviors if their managers prioritize them. Managers can answer team-specific questions or escalate issues to the IT department.
Professional Training Providers
Professional trainers use proven methods to ensure employee engagement and retention. They offer courses that result in industry-recognized certifications, enhancing the credibility of the training. Large organizations benefit from their ability to simultaneously train a wide range of employees. They are the best person for large-scale, standardized training for organizations with diverse roles, certification programs (e.g., CompTIA, CISSP, CISM), and training employees on industry or regulatory standards.
HR or Compliance Teams
These teams are well-versed in organizational policies and compliance requirements. They excel at presenting policies in a way that is easy for non-technical staff to understand. They can integrate cybersecurity awareness into broader compliance and workplace training. They are the best person for introducing new employees to cybersecurity policies and providing non-technical training on compliance-related topics.
Factors to Consider When Deciding Who Should Teach
Audience: The technical knowledge of the audience determines whether the trainer should be highly technical (e.g., IT staff) or more generalist (e.g., HR).
Content: Advanced topics like threat detection may require specialists, while managers or HR could deliver basic awareness training.
Resources: Smaller organizations may rely on internal teams, while larger ones may have professional trainers or consultants.
Compliance Needs: Regulatory or certification requirements may necessitate external trainers or professional programs.
A Collaborative Approach
For most organizations, a combination of internal and external trainers works best. IT teams and managers can handle ongoing, role-specific training, while external consultants or professional trainers provide in-depth, large-scale sessions. This ensures employees receive accurate, engaging, and relevant cybersecurity education at all levels.
Want to Learn More?
IT careers have become essential not just in Austin & Killeen but globally, and there is no better time to pick up than now. In 2021, Austin was ranked #1 in Best Tech City for IT jobs by CompTIA, and the demand is only growing.
Ready to start a rewarding and challenging career in IT as a cybersecurity specialist? The Cybersecurity Specialist Program at CyberTex prepares you for advanced computer networking and security jobs. You will learn the skills and abilities to set up, install, configure, repair, and manage modern computer networks and their security.
Contact us today to learn more about our Cybersecurity specialist program.
