If your business operates in a highly regulated industry, such as healthcare, or accepts payments via credit card, you may be surprised to learn that employee cybersecurity awareness training is likely required by the compliance standards that govern those sectors. While compliance can be a complex challenge that demands a knowledgeable technology partner such as Exigent, this one element can be very straightforward and a great place to start your efforts toward becoming compliant.
Let's be honest, keeping track of what standards apply where can be confusing, even to those in industries governed by regulations. While you should always review these ever-evolving regulatory standards with experts for specific guidance, these common compliance standards for businesses clearly demand security awareness training.
Nearly all regulatory compliance measures are built to protect—some address environmental risks, others occupational safety, and many, the data and privacy of consumers. The last category is typically where cybersecurity requirements come into play; in particular, IT security awareness training, since one of the biggest challenges when protecting sensitive or private information is keeping employees educated and aware. While there may be a bad egg here and there, most employees want to do the right thing and understand that people's data needs to be safe.
That is where security awareness training comes in. Usually simple and affordable, these ongoing education and training programs educate employees about threats, common vulnerabilities, and the right steps to take when and if faced with a threat. As part of this training, your team receives automated phishing emails, simulating real-life methods used by bad actors. This allows employees to respond in their environment and puts the training into action at the point of infraction. If an employee clicks on a phishing test, they are redirected to a landing page with a quick training experience, typically a short, educational video, along with tips on how to spot and avoid phishing emails in the future. Over time, employees' habits evolve, their awareness grows, and the chances of a breach decrease.
You can probably see why cybersecurity awareness training dovetails with regulatory compliance standards—protection. Perhaps just as important, an organization that invests in employee cybersecurity training for compliance indicates a commitment to understand threats to sensitive data and do their best to safeguard it.
As with cybersecurity, remaining compliant with regulatory standards starts with awareness. Often, security awareness training is a launchpad for employee understanding of the impact simple actions can have. Engagement with security awareness can grow into a heightened awareness of compliance rules and the reasons behind them, making it easier for employees to engage and support what might seem like random rules within your compliant business.
Overall, security awareness training helps improve operations on several fronts:
For many years, organizations have used the threat of penalties to push employees to support compliant rules, but with security awareness, the team starts to see themselves as part of the bigger picture. Not only are employees the first line of defense with cybersecurity, but they are often the same for compliance. As your team starts to better understand their important role, you will likely see improvement across the board.
At Exigent, we've explored multiple security awareness training options, and have found the more effective have certain elements in place:
It is easy for small and midsize businesses to convince themselves that cyber attacks are only a problem for large companies. The truth is, you are often a favorite target of cybercriminals—particularly if you operate in a highly regulated industry such as healthcare or legal. The reason is the rich amount of data you have on patients and clients, and the restricted budgets and expertise of most small businesses. Your defenses are lower, and the payoff is high. While working with an expert MSP is the best way to safeguard your company, launching a security awareness training is a cost-effective way to reduce compliance risks right now.
Use our SAT guide to pick the right program
Schedule a compliance consultation with Exigent, and we'll walk you through Vigilant Security Awareness Training and our other IT compliance solutions to see how we can help your business meet cybersecurity compliance training requirements.