Cyber threats have become the second-highest ranked concern troubling CEOs, according to this year’s PwC survey. Whereas only a third of CEOs cited cyber threats as a serious concern in 2020, that number has jumped to 47% in 2021. So, if you have concerns about cybersecurity and keeping your data safe, you’re not alone – nearly half of CEOs do.
Acknowledging Cyber Threats Is the First Step
One of the struggles that many companies providing IT services come across when trying to help organizations minimize cyber threats is apparent lack of concern by the decision makers at the top of the company. In some cases, the CEO is far removed from daily operations and truly doesn’t realize the potential threat. In other companies, there simply is no culture of security in place that prioritizes the alignment between business strategy and IT security.
Regardless of whether you have an internal IT team or simply don’t have the budget for one, partnering with a firm like thinkCSC that specializes in addressing these threats can make a difference. But this approach only works when you realize how closely tied the success of your organization is to IT security. The mindset and culture of your entire organization must be transformed into that of a zero-trust, safety-first organization in which everyone is responsible for doing their part.
Your Security Is Only as Strong as Your Weakest Link
As you guide your organization through our post-pandemic world, you will no doubt begin to ask questions to help determine which areas of your organization place you at the most risk. With ransomware increasing 311% year over year, you need only look as far as the next desk. Your own employees can often be the source of the greatest risk. This explains why more than 87% of all organizations have reported at least one security breach.
Ongoing Employee Training Is Essential to Thwart Cyber Threats
To maintain the highest level of awareness among your employees, you must make cybersecurity training a part of your company’s culture. You can’t simply train them during onboarding and then never mention IT security again. Every accidental click of a link is too costly. It’s important to teach employees to make smart decisions about passwords – at work and at home. If you have remote workers, it’s crucial that you provide them with sufficient security measures to protect your network.
Hackers are sophisticated and clever. They’ll use social media and other sources to learn more about the people in your organization so that when they call or email, requests seem legitimate. It is easier than ever to be tricked into revealing passwords, sending money, or clicking links that give criminals control of your network.
thinkCSC Employee Training
thinkCSC provides employee training for our managed services clients through a partnership with KnowBe4, recognized as a leader in security awareness and training. This self-paced training, which is updated regularly, provides a way to easily keep your teams updated on the latest threats. From baseline testing to determine the likelihood of an employee’s susceptibility to phishing attacks, to a massive library of interactive content, you can transform your employees from your weakest link into a hardened layer of defense. thinkCSC provides policies and comprehensive end-user training that helps arm your employees with the knowledge they need to be your front-line defense and thwart whaling attacks. To learn more about our end-user training and other managed security services, contact us today.
