Training Employees in Data Security Practices: Tips and Topics
April 3rd, 2018 by admin
While there's plenty of technology available to keep your business's data protected, the human element is still the most important piece to consider in safeguarding your company's data. Properly training employees to understand and implement data security best practices works best when your business makes a cultural shift toward prioritizing IT security. Successfully training your staff is half about knowing how to train them and half about knowing which topics to train them on. Businesses that embrace a proactive approach to training employees on data security will have a much better track record than those that take a reactive approach.
Training Tips
Don't just make a plan: Implement a program that focuses on training all employees. Have your business take an active role in implementing a data security program. This ensures training is far more effective than simply creating security practices, offering one-time training and hoping it works.
By implementing regular security training meetings on changing topics, your business can train your staff on a wide range of concerns.
In addition, your company can benefit from focused training while constantly reinforcing security as a priority. Hold multiple sessions that get into each topic in depth to help your employees better understand data security.
Training doesn't end when the session ends — it's an ongoing process. As an extension of training, your security staff should frequently send out reminders about security concerns to help employees remember what they've learned. Make your data security training materials easily accessible in the event staff members see a reminder and realize they should read up on a topic if they're unclear of what the reminder is about. Additionally, C-level staff, IT and supervisors should lead by example.
Training Topics
The bad news is hackers will always create new threats for your staff to worry about — but the silver lining is that you'll never run out of fresh topics to cover. Because of the fluidity of data security, your program will need to change which topics are covered in training and continually adjust strategy to address new threats. The following list covers just some of the many topics training sessions can cover:
- Strong passwords and more secure authentication practices: This includes covering two-step authentication when applicable.
- Secure Wi-Fi best practices: Explore red flags to look for when using public Wi-Fi and discuss whether public Wi-Fi should be used at all.
- Physical device security: Cover topics such as encryption and disabling devices remotely to minimize data leaks for stolen/lost devices.
- Use policy: Reaffirm that non-employees shouldn't be using employee hardware.
- Device security: Discuss the importance of keeping software patched and running security software on devices.
- Popular methods of attack: Cover security best practices for avoiding popular phishing, man-in-the-middle and ransomware attacks.
- Social engineering threats: Discuss the importance of the user as an essential line of defense when software can't protect from threats.
- Three-copy backup strategy: Explain that data is also at risk of being lost rather than stolen, and explore key backups to minimize these losses.
Hackers and thieves are known to exploit human complacency in security practices — and frequent training sessions will help employees stay aware. Is your business looking to improve its security practices? The IT consulting experts at ATS can help; contact us today to learn more.
Posted in: Security