Security awareness training and human risk management company AwareGO today announces the immediate worldwide availability of a free 30-minute cybersecurity training course for up to 500 employees. This quick and intensive cybersecurity training will be available until March 31st, 2022, and is designed to quickly help organizations and their employees identify and prevent potential cyber attacks.
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AwareGO is providing free training in response to the imminent global cyber threats stemming from current world events. “Right now, we are living in historic times, with conflict and turmoil. In such a situation, there are serious concerns about increased cyber attacks against institutions and enterprises, with the aim of causing disruptions, acquiring funds, and stealing valuable data,” said Ari Jonsson, CEO of AwareGO. “Having technical measures in place, such as firewalls and encryption, is good, but it is simply not enough as 85% of all successful cyber break-ins are done by fooling people rather than machines. The truly critical component in any organization’s cybersecurity toolbox is up-to-date and aware employees.”
The majority of cybersecurity breaches are not full-blown attacks but rather cybercriminals looking for vulnerabilities they can exploit to gain access. For example, ransomware and phishing attacks are all about casting a wide net, as it only takes one employee taking the bait to let them in. Small and medium-sized businesses are also increasingly being targeted, as their security posture is generally less robust.
According to a recent study by Global Market Estimates, only 25% of organizations provide cyber security awareness training programs to employees. This is despite most security breaches being primarily due to human error. Awareness training reduces the cyber security risks of organizations by 70%, by ensuring employees correctly respond to incoming threats.
All organizations, regardless of size, industry and geography are at risk. AwareGO’s free cybersecurity training course enables organizations to take a top-to-bottom look at their cybersecurity status and raise awareness among employees. The training also enforces key behaviors among employees, such as avoiding clicking on suspect links, not reusing passwords, and ensuring that software is up to date.
The free training program contains 14 hand-picked, relevant, one-minute micro-learning videos, as well as supplementary reading materials that focus on the most common methods that hackers use to trick people and gain access:
Phishing tactics and how to recognize phishing emails
Ransomware attacks and how to avoid them
Best practices on password handling, including multi-factor authentication and good password habits
Updating software from trusted sources and the dangers of extortion emails
Other cybersecurity vulnerabilities rely on human behavior on an individual level to work, such as software updates.
In a recent study by Verizon, it was estimated that 85% of all cybersecurity breaches are due to human error. A general lack of knowledge about best cybersecurity practices, such as reusing passwords, leaving mobile devices open, accessing unknown wireless networks, and falling for fake links, creates exploitable threat vectors. Offering security awareness training and making sure employees know of the increased risk of cyber attacks will maximize any organization’s cyber resilience while minimizing risk.