Cybersecurity

Security training is even more critical in the work from home era

There has never been a more crucial time to provide cyber security awareness training for employees, according to CIRA, Canada’s Internet Registration Authority.

Remote work presents a new challenge in cyber security, said Mark Gaudet, CIRA’s Business Development and Product Manager, at a recent ITWC webinar. “Ninety per cent of malicious data breaches come from attacks that target people,” he said. Now that most employees are working from home, “we’re seeing an increase in the number and sophistication of phishing attacks.”

This new age of working from home calls for new policies and education, Gaudet said. CIRA offers a training platform to give employees the information they need to protect themselves from cyber threats and to create a culture where employees will report issues.

Can security training really change behaviour?

Too often, training is provided on a “one and done” basis, with no follow up or feedback.  To be effective in changing behaviour, Gaudet said that a training program must do three things:

1. Make your training feel real

CIRA’s platform provides a personal dashboard for all employees, giving them a risk score based on their level of training and the number of security incidents they’ve had.  Scores can also be improved by reporting phishing attempts.