It might sound like something innocuous. But its inclusion can be the make-or-break difference to your cybersecurity efforts.
A computer is nothing without its user. In fact, if you just let a computer sit there and not do anything, there’d be no reason for the cybersecurity industry. You’d be reading a blank page right now and I’d be on a beach somewhere presumably sipping a strong daiquiri. But here in this reality,“end users” (more commonly referred to as ‘people’) use computers all the time. Some end users be the victims of blackmail and theft via the very same computers they use to get all their work done, and the best way to protect yourself or your team against these types of attacks is through security training. This is why you need — drum roll please 🥁 — end user security training.
But what is end user security training? It’s about keeping you and your workforce updated on the latest cybersecurity dangers, knowing what to look out for, and what to do if a potentially dangerous interaction occurs. No matter how good your IT department is at putting up firewalls, multi-factor authentication, and IP-based logins, the fact of the matter is that - according to a landmark study by IBM - 95% of all cybersecurity breaches happen because of human error.
End user security training breaks down into three easy steps:
1. Changing behaviour
2. Using common sense
3. Maintaining awareness.
The first step can often be the hardest: employees might resist a change to their usual patterns and may view training in general as a chore. It’s important, in this step, to make the overall end user security training apparatus as inclusive and positive as possible. A good recipe for achieving this is to reward for participation and success, and not punish for failure.
The second step, common sense, might seem like the easiest step, but it’s important to remember that hackers and phishers often use social conditioning techniques to make themselves appear to be someone they most certainly aren’t.
The third step of 'maintaining awareness' is the most crucial step, as this is where most end user security training apparatuses fall apart. Most companies will train in one big unfulfilling training session, but this often leads to a false sense of completion. Once an end user completes this type of training, they’re left to fill in the gaps of knowledge themselves which can lead to big holes in your company’s cybersecurity efforts. Our data shows that only after 6-10 microtrainings (with an average 10-day cadence), cybersecurity behavior undergoes dramatic and sustained improvement.
By using phishing simulations that are automatically personalized for each end-user and cleverly designed positive reinforcement training modules, our end user security training doesn’t feel like “work” while still keeping engagement levels high and fail rates low over time. Combine this with Hoxhunt’s unique ability to be tailored to each user, and training can be seamlessly integrated into the workday.
Don’t believe us? You should! What we do really works. Take a look at some of our customer testimonials here, or simply request a demo and one of our talented team members will get back to you shortly.
