Who Is Your Organization’s Weakest Link? Transforming Team Members from Cybersecurity Risks to Assets

Who Is Your Organization’s Weakest Link? Transforming Team Members from Cybersecurity Risks to Assets

October 1, 2024

The time is now for organizations to learn how to fortify their defenses against digital threats. Four foundational strategies help professional teams protect assets and empower their people to outsmart cyber tricksters:

  1. Setting up strong passwords and a password manager
  2. Utilizing multifactor authentication (MFA)
  3. Updating software
  4. Recognizing and reporting phishing

While the first three strategies are relatively straightforward to implement, the fourth—recognizing and reporting phishing scams—requires a more significant investment. Phishing remains a top vulnerability exploited by cybercriminals today. Fortunately, organizations can take specific actions to reduce their risk across all these cybersecurity areas.

Below, we review key cybersecurity topics with a special focus on the critical challenge of phishing awareness.

The Foundations of Good Cybersecurity: Strong Passwords, MFA, and Software Updates

Strong Passwords: Easy to Implement, Crucial for Security

Strong passwords should not be a new concept, but the topic is always worth revisiting. Here are action steps to create a stronger password strategy:

  • Use at least 12 characters, mixing upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. More characters are better.
  • Avoid using common dictionary words, family member, or personal information for passwords.
  • Never use the same password for multiple user accounts, and especially not for sensitive services like banking or financial institutions, healthcare, and email accounts.  
  • Consider implementing a secure password manager to assist with password creation and secure storing.

Cybernews® recommends these 2024 top picks for Best Password Managers for the USA.

Pro Tip: While strong passwords are relatively easy to implement, some organizations may struggle with user adoption. Regular training and clear policies can help organizations overcome this challenge.

Multifactor Authentication (MFA): A Simple Yet Powerful Tool

Multifactor authentication substantially enhances the security of online systems and accounts by requiring multiple forms of verification before granting a user access. Here are some security perks to MFA:

  • The extra layer of security in MFA goes beyond just a username and password, making it much harder for unauthorized users to gain access.
  • By adding multiple layers of verification, MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, even if credentials are compromised.
  • MFA can also be integrated with single sign-on (SSO) solutions, providing a balance between enhanced security and user convenience.

Implementation Note: While MFA is straightforward to set up, choosing the right solution for your organization’s needs and ensuring widespread adoption may require some effort and professional expertise.

Software Updates: Critical, but Often Overlooked

Software updates should be on every IT team’s routine maintenance plan to maintain security. Also known as “patches,” regular software updates are purposed to fix vulnerabilities, improve system security, and enhance functionality and compatibility.

Resource Consideration:  Some organizations may lack the personnel or resources to manage regular updates across all systems. In such cases, partnering with a managed IT service provider can be beneficial.

The Crucial Focus: Phishing Awareness and Training

Phishing training is not just important—it’s critical for safeguarding your organization in today’s digital landscape. With the average cost of a data breach in the U.S. soaring to $9.36 million and 95% of data breaches involving human error, comprehensive and ongoing phishing training has become a necessity for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Why Prioritize Phishing Training?

While passwords, MFA, and software updates are foundational to cybersecurity, phishing training stands out as a critical focus area for several reasons:

  1. Human Element: Unlike other measures that can be implemented technically, phishing exploits human behavior, making ongoing education essential.
  2. Evolving Threats: Phishing tactics constantly change, requiring regular updates to training programs.
  3. Widespread Impact: Phishing can affect anyone in an organization, from entry-level employees to C-suite executives.
  4. Gateway to Other Attacks: Many major breaches start with a successful phishing attempt, making it a critical point of vulnerability.
  5. Continuous Risk: While strong passwords, MFA, and software updates can be set up once and maintained periodically, the risk of phishing is constant and requires ongoing vigilance.

The Urgency of Phishing Awareness

According to Verizon’s annual Data Breach Investigations Report, it takes a mere 21 seconds for one of your team members to click on a malicious link in a phishing email, and only another 28 seconds for them to enter sensitive data—making 60 seconds the median time a user to fall victim to an email phishing scam. This rapid response time underscores the critical need for vigilant, well-trained employees who can serve as your first line of defense against cyber threats.

The Psychology of Human Error report, a study by Stanford University Professor Jeff Hancock and a security firm, formerly known as Tessian, found that:

  • 36% of organizational team members stated they were “very” or “pretty” confident they had made a mistake that could have led to a security issue for their organization.
  • 51% employees cited being tired as the top reason for making mistakes, 50% cite being distracted.
  • Cybercriminals purposely send most of their phishing emails during the afternoon, when team members are more likely to be tired or distracted.
  • 54% of phishing fails happened due to team members perceiving a sense of legitimacy, 52% because the email appeared to have come from a known company executive, and 38% because the scam appeared to be sent from a well-known brand.

Building a Strong Cybersecurity Culture

Effective phishing training goes beyond just identifying suspicious emails. It’s about cultivating a strong cybersecurity culture within your organization. Here’s why it matters:

  • Reduces human error and risky behavior
  • Empowers employees to identify vulnerabilities
  • Minimizes disruption from incidents through proper response training
  • Strengthens overall organizational resilience against cyber threats
  • Enhances brand reputation for security consciousness
  • Increases ability to retain and win over customers

Implementing Effective Phishing Training

To maximize the impact of your phishing training:

  1. Start Early: New employees should receive standard security awareness training during their onboarding process, preferably before they gain access to your organization’s systems and software.
  2. Maintain Consistency: Conduct monthly phishing assessments and provide corrective training to those who fall for simulated phishing attempts.
  3. Keep it Current: Provide security awareness training throughout the year to keep employees engaged and informed about new tricks cybercriminals are developing.
  4. Make it Interactive: Engage employees with interactive learning experiences that simulate real-world scenarios.
  5. Assess and Improve: Regularly assess your team’s security knowledge and culture, using the insights to refine your training approach.

Expert Support for Your Phishing Training Needs

While understanding the importance of phishing training is crucial, implementing an effective program can be challenging. That’s where expert support comes in. REDW’s partnership with KnowBe4, the world’s largest integrated platform for security awareness training, allows us to offer a comprehensive solution that includes:

  • Interactive learning modules
  • Simulated phishing attacks
  • A vast library of customizable content
  • Safe handling of suspected phishes
  • Advanced reporting to keep you informed

By leveraging our expertise and KnowBe4’s cutting-edge platform, you can ensure your team receives top tier phishing training, significantly reducing your organization’s vulnerability to cyber threats.

In the realm of cybersecurity, your employees can be either your weakest link or your strongest asset. Invest in their knowledge, and you invest in your organization’s security.

Empowering Your Cybersecurity Strategy

While we’ve emphasized the importance of phishing training, it’s crucial to remember that effective cybersecurity is holistic. Strong passwords, MFA, and regular software updates form the foundation upon which robust phishing defenses can be built. However, implementing and maintaining a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy can be challenging for many organizations.

That’s where REDW’s trusted cybersecurity experts come in. We offer a range of services designed to strengthen your organization’s defenses against phishing and other cyber threats:

🤝 Executive Buy-In: Need support in gaining buy-in for a new or expanded cybersecurity budget? Our experts offer professional presentations to organizational boards and leadership meetings, helping you make the case for robust cybersecurity measures.

🔓 Vulnerability Assessment: Ready to test your current digital setup for vulnerabilities? Our Cybersecurity Scorecard provides a comprehensive evaluation of your organization’s security posture.

🔎 Risk Assessment: Is your organization in need of a risk assessment? Whether it’s for a single department like your finance team or an enterprise-wide evaluation, our experts can help identify security gaps and provide actionable recommendations.

🎣 Phishing Training: Are you confident every team member of your organization will be ready to identify future phishing attacks? Through our partnership with KnowBe4, we connect your organization to the resources needed to train your team members to be cyber-aware.

🧑‍đź’» IT Team Support: Does your IT team need skills refreshment or an update on current cybercrime trends? Let’s make you the hero. Our trusted cybersecurity experts consult with your team and offer a range of training to get your IT team up to speed.

Ready to take the next step in strengthening your cybersecurity defenses?

Contact REDW’s trusted cybersecurity experts today to learn more about our cybersecurity services and how we tailor solutions to meet your specific needs. We’re standing by to help you build a resilient, secure, and cyber-aware organization.

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