Cyber Awareness Training Implementation Guide

💼🔒 Bootstrapping Cybersecurity Awareness on a Budget: A Guide for SMBs 🔒💼 Good Morning Friends. A common sentiment I've encountered among small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners is that cybersecurity education is too costly to implement. However, there are practical, budget-friendly ways to educate your team and secure your business. Here are some thoughts on how SMBs can begin a cybersecurity awareness program without blowing out their budget. 💡 Why It's a Must Firstly, it’s important to recognize that cyber risks are real. SMBs account for nearly 43% of cyber-attack targets. Ignoring cyber threats and risk is not an option; it's a responsibility to your customers and your business. 🛠️ Getting Started on a Shoestring Budget 1️⃣ Free Online Resources: Organizations like the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offer free toolkits and resources tailored for SMBs.    2️⃣ Webinars & Podcasts: There are countless free or inexpensive webinars and Podcasts (Like the CyBUr Guy and CyBUr Smart Morning News) that provide high-quality information on cybersecurity best practices.    3️⃣ Employee Handbook: Include a section on cybersecurity in your existing employee handbook. Make sure it covers basics like strong password policies and phishing scams. 🎯 Actionable Steps 1️⃣ Monthly Security Briefings: Dedicate 10-20 minutes every month to discuss cybersecurity trends and threats. Make it a standing agenda item in team meetings.    2️⃣ Quizzes and Check-ins: Utilize free platforms to create cybersecurity quizzes. Reward employees who score well with small incentives.    3️⃣ Emergency Drills: Simulate a phishing attack or data breach scenario. Evaluate the team’s response and discuss improvements. 🤝 Leveraging Internal Talent 1️⃣ Designate a Cybersecurity Champion: Nominate an employee who is tech-savvy to be the go-to person for cybersecurity queries.    2️⃣ Peer Training: Use the ‘Train the Trainer’ approach where employees become the educators. Share responsibilities and grow together. 💵 Economical Tools and Services 1️⃣ Open-Source Tools: Utilize free open-source cybersecurity tools to protect your systems. 2️⃣ Freemium Models: Many cybersecurity service providers offer freemium models that can be upgraded as your business grows. 3️⃣ Group Discounts: Partner with other SMBs to purchase cybersecurity training or tools at a discounted rate. 4️⃣ Low-cost consultants: There are consultants that can help get you started that won't blow out your whole cybersecurity budget. Find them and engage with them. Remember, cybersecurity is not about having unlimited resources; it's about being resourceful with what you have. Taking even small steps can make a significant difference in your business’s cybersecurity posture. Get CyBUr safe, and make your business CyBUr Smart! 🔒 #Cybersecurity #SMBs #BudgetFriendly #CybersecurityAwareness #Bootstrapping #BusinessSecurity #Knowledgeisprotection

Yesterday my daughter made an observation that’s relevant to all mid-market CISOs. While speaking to her on voice call, my father-in-law struggled to switch the WhatsApp call to video to show their dog’s antics. He asked my mother-in-law to help. While on the call, my mother-in-law needed to transfer money via UPI to someone. So they had to cut the call - because my father-in-law needed to step in! My daughter came to me with this question: Two people. Same house. Same everyday things. Yet their skill levels are so different. Now, imagine this inside a company with hundreds or thousands of employees. - Some struggle to identify phishing emails - Some don’t understand the risk of weak passwords - Some click on malicious links without a second thought - Some approve payment requests based on text messages - Some download & install unauthorized software - Some share sensitive information over email without realizing - Some upload company secrets into ChatGPT for projects Yet, many CISOs run just 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙤 cyber awareness simulations per year & think it’s enough. It’s not. Cyber awareness needs to be continuous, personalized & measurable. A strong cyber awareness program should: 𝟭) 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀 Phishing, smishing, vishing, and deepfake attacks that mimic what attackers actually do. 𝟮) 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 A finance executive needs different training than a new intern. 𝟯) 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 Gamification, role-based training, and bite-sized learning improve retention. 𝟰) 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 & 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 Identify employees who need extra training instead of treating everyone the same. 𝟱) 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Cyber threats evolve daily; training should too. 𝟲) 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 Department-wise reports of people & the potential learning gaps Awareness is not running a simulation & calling it a day. It's the actions & the next steps: - for improvement - knowing the awareness posture of everyone - for building a culture where employees become security assets If you’re a CISO evaluating solutions that train employees further based on their actual responses, DM me. My team works with a platform designed to make cyber awareness practical, engaging & effective. -- Hi, I’m Rajeev Mamidanna. I help mid-market CISOs strengthen their Cyber Immunity.