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The cybersecurity skills gap doesn’t just affect large corporations. With 58% of organisations citing insufficient skills as the primary cause of breaches, cybersecurity awareness training is essential for businesses of all sizes.
What is cybersecurity awareness training?
Cybersecurity awareness training equips your employees with the knowledge and skills to identify, avoid, and respond to cyber threats. It covers everything from identifying phishing attempts to understanding password hygiene and safe device usage.
Unlike technical security measures that work in the background, awareness training directly empowers your team to make security-conscious decisions.
Your business runs on data – customer information, intellectual property, financial records, and operational details. The consequences of neglecting this data are far from virtual.
Why is cybersecurity awareness training important?
Protects sensitive data
A data breach compromises more than just information, it severely impacts customer trust. Among businesses that have experienced a cyber-attack, 47% report greater difficulty attracting new customers, while 43% say they've lost existing customers entirely.
Cybersecurity awareness training teaches employees to recognise which information is sensitive, how to handle it safely, and identify unsafe practices that could put your business at risk.
Minimises human error
Human error accounts for a staggering 85% of cyber breaches. From clicking malicious links to using weak passwords or falling for social engineering tactics, simple mistakes can have catastrophic consequences.
Training significantly reduces these errors by building security awareness into everyday activities. When employees recognise threat patterns, understand the importance of security protocols, and develop good security habits, they go from your biggest vulnerability to your greatest defence.
Improves incident response
Even with the best preventative measures, security incidents still occur. When they do, the speed and effectiveness of your response is key to reducing the damage.
Formal incident response plans aren't as common as they should be. 36% of medium and large organisations don’t have a one. This is alarming, considering that quick action minimises "dwell time" – the period when cybercriminals have free access to your systems.
Cybersecurity awareness training provides employees with clear steps to follow when they spot something suspicious, reducing the window of opportunity for hackers to cause harm.
Helps you comply with regulations
Regulatory compliance isn't optional, and non-compliance can result in severe penalties. GDPR infringements, for example, could cost your business up to €20 million (around £18 million) or 4% of global annual revenue, whichever is higher.
Effective training ensures your team understands their responsibilities under these regulations and how to meet them.
Secures the remote workforce
Remote work has created new security challenges that traditional office-based defences can't address. When employees work from home, public venues, or on the move, your security perimeter extends to every location and device they use.
Threats include:
- Unsecured home networks that lack enterprise-grade protection
- Unauthorised usage of personal devices for work purposes
- Public Wi-Fi vulnerabilities that expose sensitive data
Cybersecurity awareness training tailored to remote work scenarios helps employees recognise these risks and mitigate them. It ensures your security travels with your team, whether they're working from the kitchen table or a beachside café.
Should I get a cybersecurity certification?
Alongside training, certifications are a great way to take your security posture to the next level. Cyber Essentials provides a framework to improve your overall security and demonstrate your commitment to protecting data.
A certification helps you:
- Show customers and partners that you take security seriously
- Meet compliance requirements
- Follow proven security frameworks rather than ad-hoc approaches
- Win new business, such as government contracts and private sector opportunities, which require certification
Build a culture of cybersecurity awareness
The importance of cybersecurity awareness training for employees can’t be overstated. When security becomes part of your company's culture, employees naturally bring it into their daily routines and decision-making. And ultimately, this is what reduces cyber risk, and improves cyber resilience.
Considering incorporating cybersecurity awareness training into your business? Check out CyberSmart Learn, our cybesecurity focused learning managment system.