Security awareness training is essential to the success of any business. With the growing cyber-attack cases in recent years, there is more reason why you need to be more vigilant when it comes to protecting your business against potential cyber threats and data breaches.
To secure your business against potential threats, it's smart to have your employees undergo security awareness training by the best professional IT and cybersecurity experts from Hook Security.
There are various firms offering security awareness training programs such that it may be confusing when deciding which program to settle for. That's why we've put together this post to help you figure out what to look for in a security awareness training program.
When you are looking for a security awareness training solution for your business, here are some of the crucial things you should be on the lookout for in a program:
Quality of Training
Proper security awareness training can help employees understand and respect the importance of data security. With such a big task, the lessons should be extensive and well-prepared.
The effectiveness of security awareness training comes down to how much your team learns about cyber threats and how prepared they are to deal with them.
The only way to know which training program can help the most is through research.
While on a company's website, browse the customer testimonials. See what their clients had to say about how much they learned.
You can also look at companies who bought the service and see how they've handled their security scams.
Or you can look for recent reviews online. In either case, confirm that customers are happy.
In addition to customer satisfaction, a high-quality training program is also one that stays up to date.
It is vital to be knowledgeable of the newest cyber threats. So it is a good idea to choose a company that offers ongoing training to deal with these hazards.
For example, at Hook Security, we offer annual and monthly training sessions in one program. It's in your company's best interest to find a training company with a similar set of offerings.
The Material Should Be Easy to Understand
It would help if you also looked for an easy-to-understand training program that your employees will love.
People have different learning abilities; therefore, a program that offers personalized lessons would be the best choice.
Look for a system that offers all three training styles: visual, audio, and hands-on. This will ensure that your staff gets the most out of every lesson.
Phishing Template Library
CISCO's 2021 cyber security report revealed that phishing was the cause of about 90% of all corporate data breaches. Awareness of phishing techniques can help your employees avoid falling victim to phishing threats.
When making your choice, consider a vendor with an extensive template library. It should also be one that's updated often.
Regularly modified templates mean the vendor has the resources to release current phishing lures often. As a result, your team will stay current and keep your company protected.
And there are some additional training tools you should look out for when it comes to the phishing library:
Automatic Training
An essential feature is automated training whenever a user fails a phishing test. The program would employ a repeat-practice method, in which participants would learn through making mistakes.
With this feature, your staff will maintain lessons longer. Moreover, it gives your organization the greatest value for its dollars.
Customization Capabilities
The ability to create and edit custom templates is also something to keep an eye on. You may want to make a mock phishing test to educate your employees about phishing.
Communication Channels
If you have an organization-wide instant messaging tool, see if it's possible to use it with the program you're interested in. This would make sending phishing simulations and other awareness training more convenient.
Ultimately, we recommend choosing an awareness training solution with a minimum of 100 templates. But ideally, you'd want to look for an option with over 1,000 phishing templates.
In-Depth Reporting
The value of your training program is directly proportional to the quality of the data collected. Therefore, you need the ability to review the staff's performance and identify areas that require improvement.
It also helps you see who's sat through training and monitor participation.
The ideal security awareness training solution will provide detailed reports that allow you to assess the program's effectiveness at any given time.
The program should also offer actionable steps for you and your team. Good advice will maximize the business' internal protection.
You may also find it necessary that the reports come in different formats. In that case, look for a program that offers graphs and written reports.
If you're able to get a demo before picking a program, here are some questions to ask potential vendors about their reporting:
- How many reports come with your program?
- Can I create custom reports?
- Will I be able to generate reports at will?
- Are the reports automated?
- How can I share the information?
Easy to Use
A security training solution's effectiveness relies on its platform. For example, if you can't find the right e-learning video or lesson on a topic, the course has little value to your team.
It would be best to look for a program that allows you to search through training content. This comes in handy when your team needs specific topics and not an entire course.
In the long run, a searchable platform saves time.
In short, if a program has a complex interface, then it may not be the right fit for your business.
When choosing a security training provider, keep these tips in mind:
- Do your research. Check to see if a third-party organization has approved the software.
- Look at customer testimonials. How many clients does the company have? Are they satisfied? Are there any issues?
- Seek a solution compatible with all browsers and devices.
Easy to Deploy
Your security awareness training should be easy to distribute to your staff. Consider the programs that your staff are already familiar with, and ensure that your solution is compatible with these programs.
It also helps if the security company offers Active Directory. This will simplify distributing training to new staff members, leaving no one uninformed.
And here are some other things we recommend researching when looking at security training solutions:
- Pre-built courses. It helps if you don't have to wait for trainers to post new lessons.
- Multiple language capabilities
- Solutions for disabled staff members. Consult with the company to discover if they provide special solutions for the visually and auditory impaired.
The more user-friendly a program is, the greater its overall usefulness for your business.
Quality Support
Many security training solutions have a strong emphasis on the material. But the deciding company must also consider the availability of support in case questions arise during or after the training.
A knowledgeable and responsive support team is an essential element of an effective security training program.
The right customer service team can also help avoid disruptions to your operations. For example, when staff members are uncertain about a security breach, they'll be able to reach out and speak with experts.
But it's hard to judge the quality of support without sitting through a trial of the program. So if the company is offering a free trial, take advantage of the opportunity to test its customer service.
If a trial or demo is unavailable, browse their website to confirm that the vendor offers email, phone, and chat support.
It would also help if you discovered the business's operating hours. You'll need to ensure that the trainers will be available during your company's work hours.
Compliance Training
Compliance training ensures that employees understand all the relevant laws, regulations, and policies that rule your organization.
It's an essential aspect of security awareness. Without it, your organization is in danger of lawsuits, fines, and even criminal charges.
You should look at a potential vendor's compliance training and see if it's up to par.
Practical compliance training takes a proactive approach. It'll teach employees how to apply ethics and compliance issues to their roles in their workplaces.
They'll learn their responsibilities and boundaries. And you'll see a more productive work environment that needs less supervision.
When you're contacting a security firm, ask about their training program. Confirm that it meets the standards of your city and other common regulations like the CMMC and HIPAA.
Pricing Tiers
The best security awareness programs are ones that offer you a variety of pricing tiers to choose from and varying lengths of time.
If your company is new, it may not be able to invest in a large-scale training program. That said, you shouldn't pay too little either. You don't want low-quality training that doesn't suit your company's demands.
In short, invest in a proven system that can boost your bottom line rather than burden it.
Keeping this in mind, it's also important to find training that scales with your business. You can save your staff from many internet scams by providing up-to-date information to your employees when they need it most.
The New Standard in Security Awareness Training
To ensure that the security training program you select is the right one, you should research your options. Unfortunately, finding a company that meets all your security compliance needs is not easy.
That's why we heavily advocate for participating in free trials and demos wherever possible. Then, your team can judge how a program can help without committing.
At Hook Security, we have a 7-day free trial and demo for interested corporations. Schedule a demo with us to see how easy it is to automate your security awareness training program.
