How resilient are your team members? For educators in secondary and tertiary institutions, the challenge is not only to protect the organisation or institution’s data, but also to foster a culture of cyber security awareness and resilience among their faculty and students. Cyber security awareness should not be confined to computer science or IT courses. Integrating basic security principles across various subjects can help students and staff understand the importance of protecting data. ‍

Cyber security awareness training

Organising training sessions for both faculty and students is crucial in keeping the community informed about the latest cyber security best practices. While they may seem repetitive, short courses can serve as a reinforcement, or timely reminder to check all the basics. Short bite-sized courses can cover topics such as password management, recognising phishing attempts, and safe browsing habits. Using interactive elements and real-life scenarios can make these sessions more engaging and memorable, and over time, embed it as second nature.

Discussing recent cyber security incidents that have impacted schools or universities can help to highlight the real-world consequences of cyber threats. This approach can help in making the abstract concept of cyber threats more tangible, fostering a deeper understanding of the importance of cyber security measures.

Promote a culture of security awareness

Creating a culture where cyber security awareness is second nature involves more than just education; it requires active participation. Positive encouragement goes a long way - ensuring students and faculty practice good cyber as business as usual can include reporting any suspicious emails or SMS, this can help in maintaining a secure environment. Recognition of your cyber champions can encourage the continued behaviour which in turn uplifts the rest of the community.

Encourage collaboration between departments to share resources and knowledge about cyber security. Partnerships with IT departments and inter department heads can provide additional information and resources for cyber security awareness programs. Reviewing how to respond to an incident, whether it be a report of online bullying, or non-consensual sharing of materials, educators should be aware of what is happening on campus amongst faculty and student body.

Encourage critical thinking

Teaching students and faculty to critically evaluate the information they encounter online and to consider the security implications of their digital actions can cultivate a more cautious and thoughtful approach to internet use. Critical thinking skills are essential in recognising and mitigating potential cyber security threats.

The goal here is to create an empowered community that not only understands the importance of cyber security awareness, but also actively contributes to the positive culture. By integrating cyber security awareness into the curriculum, conducting regular training, utilising real-world examples, promoting a culture of security, and encouraging critical thinking - educators can play a pivotal role in preparing students and faculty to navigate security awareness safely and responsibly.  

Discover our phishing awareness & simulation training, designed to equip your workforce with essential cyber security knowledge Click here to learn more

Enterprise Security Awareness Training

 

For enterprise security that’s anchored in your culture, train your workforce so that people no longer think about security. They just do it.

Teach staff to use office devices responsibly at work

Encourage employees to comply with security policies

Instil security awareness into your work culture

Enterprise security is all of the measures you take to shield your operations from digital risk on 3 fronts:

loss or theft (physical security)

online attack (cybersecurity)

data exposure (information security)

There are hundreds of policy templates and technical products available to help organisations on all 3 fronts. But unsound acts from just one of your employees can make these technical tools and barriers almost useless.

 

No matter how rigorous your physical security policies are for the myriad IT assets your organisation oversees, one single employee misstep can have huge consequences. 

 

Just ask the Australian military aide to Major General John Cartwell who broke security protocols when he stored a USB in his backpack which was stolen while transiting through Kuwait.

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Or speak to administrators at the University of Western Australia where thieves stole laptops containing domestic student’s tax file numbers as well as international applicants’ passport numbers and visa status. There’s also the risk of insider theft, where existing or outgoing employees use USB devices to download proprietary information to share with competitors, as was the case in Australia with freight company Toll. 

 

And hackers don’t always need to use electronic means to get to your data. They can simply look over your shoulder at a coffee shop, a shared work space or on a crowded commuter train, as one UK public servant discovered. Australian designed enterprise security awareness training is making the world take notice Learn how we can help you develop a cyber resilient workforce

Enterprise organisations usually have a larger, and more diverse workforce - This means different kinds of workers are in play: some in front of a computer in the office, and some out on the road, or even working using a customer’s Wi-Fi or facilities, not to mention all different levels of technical capability. Employees, as the first line of defence, play a crucial role in safeguarding their organisation\'s data and sensitive information.

What are some essential cyber security best practices that employees should follow to enhance their organisation\'s security posture?

Protect information from spear phishing

Protecting personal and organisational information is fundamental in preventing cyber threats,  phishing awareness & simulation training is a large component of that, enterprise employees need to learn how to make security a habit.

Always use personal devices for sensitive tasks like banking or online shopping, rather than company-issued devices. Never access personal or work accounts on public computers or networks, which are vulnerable to cyber attacks. It’s a good best practice to never use public devices or networks at all.

Spear phishing attacks hope an employee will casually or during business as usual, comply with an urgent request. Don’t share trade secrets, sensitive or financial information (such as corporate email addresses, employee IDs, or credit card information) over email or unsecured networks. This can lead to unauthorised access to both personal and company data.  

Spear phishing can be the start of a huge concern for enterprise-level organisations if any financial actions are taken as a result. This can impact the reputation of the organisation, and even if the financial repercussions aren’t business ending, the eroded trust can mean lost revenue.