Organisations must raise awareness of cybersecurity and privacy issues for National Cyber Security Awareness Month

WYOMING, UNITED STATES, October 23, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- IT Governance, the leading supplier of cybersecurity and data protection expertise, is urging organizations around the world to take responsibility for raising cybersecurity awareness within the workplace, in line with the aims of National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM).

NCSAM, a collaboration between cybersecurity industry leaders and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), takes place every October, working to equip individuals and organizations with the tools and information they need to stay safe online. The focus of NCSAM 2017 is to highlight the role of the individual in cybersecurity and data privacy. No technological defense is ever 100% secure, meaning an individual employee can be a catalyst for a company cyber attack.

Founder and executive chairman of IT Governance, Alan Calder, said: “Every business, regardless of size, is a target for cyber criminals and is at risk of suffering a data breach. This month, more than ever, we encourage organizations to create a cybersecurity culture by educating staff on the key elements of information security, passively conveying security best practices, and equipping staff with the resources to strengthen their knowledge of information security.”

The ability of an organization to grow commerce, communications, community, and content is dependent upon cybersecurity. It is therefore vital that the whole workforce takes shared responsibility for cybersecurity: every employee must manage risk and be resilient against cyber threats and data privacy issues, and organizations must be held accountable for investing in staff cyber education.

Cybersecurity and privacy issues are a constant and evolving phenomena, so a staff awareness program in the workplace must reflect this. Beginning at induction and reinforced through regular updates, briefings, and training, educating staff is key to ensuring they feel part of the cybersecurity solution, rather than the problem. Equipping employees with the knowledge and tools to stay safe online empowers them to take an active role in their company’s security. Initiatives to promote safe online practices in the workplace need not be time consuming, expensive, or unengaging.

During NCSAM, organizations are encouraged to use IT Governance’s wide range of solutions to raise awareness of cybersecurity threats among employees.

Designed by information security experts, pocket guides provide quick and accessible information about the dangers of poor data protection and cybersecurity. Staff can take learning into their own hands with the ISMS Card Game, a team-based way of increasing staff awareness of the types of cyber attack they may face.

Putting up posters around the office is a way of subconsciously reminding staff of the importance of safe online behavior. It is also important that information security professionals learn how to create a cybersecurity culture that promotes this behavior in the workplace. Build a Security Culture and The Psychology of Information Security are bestsellers in this area.

A cost-effective, efficient means of delivering staff awareness training is an e-learning course. Some of the most common threats are phishing and ransomware attacks, which target employees through the Internet and email.

These types of attack have undergone an extraordinary growth rate, mainly due to the lack of basic user knowledge in workplaces: more than 75% of UK office workers don’t know what ransomware is, and almost 40% cannot confidently define a phishing attack, according to an ISACA survey. Phishing awareness training can make the difference here in guiding careful, informed staff behavior.

These courses, and other online e-learning courses, can be customized to match the needs of a particular organization. Our Security Awareness Program is uniquely designed to fit an organization’s needs, culture, and values, and is the ultimate tailor-made solution to staff cybersecurity awareness.

To find out more about IT Governance’s staff awareness tools and resources, please visit the website, contact the team direct at servicecenter@itgovernanceusa.com or call (877) 317-3454.

- Ends -

NOTES TO EDITORS

IT Governance Ltd is the single-source provider of books, tools, training, and consultancy for IT governance, risk management, and compliance. It is a leading authority on data security and IT governance for business and the public sector. IT Governance is ‘non-geek’, approaching IT issues from a non-technology background and talking to management in its own language. Its customer base spans Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia. More information is available at www.itgovernanceusa.com.

Mihaela Jucan
IT Governance Ltd
00448450701750
email us here