Social engineering attacks remain one of the top cybersecurity threats to companies in 2023. According to recent research, businesses experience an average of over 700 social engineering attacks annually, and these attacks use tactics such as phishing and ransomware to exploit a lack of attention, awareness, and time to assess the threat.
To combat these attacks, proactive security awareness is crucial. Here are three reasons why proactive security awareness should matter to your company’s cybersecurity:
1. Proactive security awareness complements reactive security programs
Reactive security programs, such as antivirus, antimalware, and firewall security, are essential protective components. However, proactive security is necessary to provide comprehensive protection against all types of cybersecurity threats. Reactive security is tactical and focuses on minimizing the damage done by an attack. In contrast, proactive security is strategic and aims to manage threats before they occur. Proactive security provides continuous cybersecurity management by analyzing network and endpoint activity to identify threat indicators.
2. Proactive security awareness arms your team against threats
Supporting staff awareness and training is the most critical proactive security action you can take. Proactive security awareness generates awareness of how end-users get targeted and compromised, signs to be suspicious of, and steps to proceed with caution. Providing your team with information and tactics for avoiding common threat vectors such as email scams and spear phishing is essential. Partnering with an experienced provider, such as Data Evolution, ensures that you receive high-quality training content in easy-to-understand formats with ongoing tests and monitoring.
3. Proactive security awareness provides comprehensive, scalable protection
Each company’s cybersecurity needs are unique, and the right IT service provider can help select proactive security components that are appropriate for the organization. These components may include onboarding materials to inform new employees about the company’s cybersecurity policies, awareness training presentations, tools and programs for ongoing training, and threat analysis to identify high-priority threats. Developing company policies to raise awareness and establish protocols for responding to threats is also crucial, as is proactive endpoint monitoring and network management.
In conclusion, proactive security awareness is critical to every company’s cybersecurity. By complementing reactive security programs, arming your team against threats, and providing comprehensive, scalable protection, proactive security awareness can help ensure that your company’s cybersecurity remains uncompromised.
If you have questions about your organizations’ cyber security, contact our team at Data Evolution.