News

Many businesses invest in technical measures like firewalls and antivirus software but fail to strengthen the first line of defence.  Cyber security awareness training bridges the gaps between these measures, ensuring staff know how to spot phishing emails and social engineering attempts.

In this guide, we will discuss the risks of human behaviour on cyber security before showing you how to improve cyber security awareness in your organisation.

Why human behaviour is still the biggest cyber security risk

Firewalls, antivirus software, and email filters are important, but these measures will not prevent an attack built to deceive a person.

In the past year, 43% of UK businesses suffered a security breach, yet only 19% of businesses run staff cyber security awareness training.  Would your employees know how to spot a phishing email or how to report the threat?

The National Cyber Security Centre recognises that staff cannot be expected to catch every phishing attempt.  However, it is vital that you and your employees are doing your part to reduce security risks, and not just relying on technical controls.

4 ways cyber security training and awareness help reduce attacks

Cyber awareness training for employees teaches staff how to spot common attack methods, handle data safely, and report threats before they escalate.  Here is why it is necessary and how it works.

1. Teaches employees to recognise phishing emails

Cyber security training teaches employees to spot common signs of phishing emails, including unexpected links and urgent requests.

Typically, phishing occurs when a scammer sends an email, designed to look genuine, hoping to trick someone into making a payment.  For example, a scammer may send a fake supplier invoice, styled to match a real one, and ask for a change of bank details.

It is the most common and dangerous cyber attack.  38% of businesses experienced phishing last year and 69% describe it as the most disruptive type of breach, so it is important to educate employees about how to spot and report these emails.

With proper cyber security awareness training, employees will learn to spot common signs like:

• Emails that claim to be from an authority (Government departments, IT support, solicitors)
• Urgent emails (that state consequences like fines if not actioned)
• Emails containing unexpected links, attachments, or QR codes (usually including requests to change payment details)
• Emails asking for passwords or other sensitive information
• Emails where the sender’s email address does not exactly match the organisation it claims to be from

2. Helps staff recognise social engineering and handle data safely

Data security awareness training teaches staff to handle sensitive data with care and verify identities before sharing information.

Unlike phishing, social engineering does not always happen over email.  It could be a caller pretending to offer IT support or posing as a supplier’s accounts team.  Usually, they will be asking for a password or a change of bank details.  It might even follow a phishing email to make the request seem more convincing.

Cyber security awareness training stresses the importance of handling sensitive data with care.  It teaches employees to pause and verify identities before sharing passwords or providing access to files.  The training will also educate staff about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) so they will know when they are breaching data protection rules (or are at risk of it).

3. Builds a reporting culture that catches problems early

It is important to create a culture where mistakes can quickly be reported.  Staff who fear blame are less likely to flag suspicious activities before they cause real damage.

Cyber security awareness training helps you build a safe, understanding environment by:

• Treating anyone who flags a suspicious email positively
• Drawing attention to the matter to stress its significance
• Having a clear way to report threats e.g. a ‘report phishing’ button or email address
• Regularly refreshing and adding to security training
• Offering security training in a format that makes sense for your work place (briefing sessions, online modules)

4. Works alongside technical defences

The most secure businesses combine a security awareness program with technical measures like firewalls, two-factor authentication, and email filtering.

Human knowledge cannot do it all, but it can bridge the gap between technical defences.  Besides staff training, we would always recommend investing in IT support services to keep your systems secure.

Use David Allen to prevent cyber attacks in your business

Implementing genuine cyber security awareness takes ongoing training and support, not just an induction session.  As an active Cyber Essentials Practitioner, David Allen combines technical protection with practical staff training through our IT security services.

Besides technical measures like backups and domain security, we provide top-level cyber security awareness training in the UK, covering GDPR, email phishing, general IT security, and more.  The best part: it is all tracked, so you know which staff members are engaging.

If you have any questions about our training, get in touch with our friendly team today.