As more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) turn to cloud solutions for their ease of use and resource management benefits, the aspect of security often receives less attention than it should. This oversight can lead to vulnerabilities, especially since the integrity of cloud security is significantly reliant on user behaviour.
With the vast majority of data breaches involving human error, it’s essential that employees understand their crucial role in maintaining cyber security. In this blog, we explain why comprehensive employee training is essential for enhancing cloud security, offering practical tips for SMEs on building a culture of cyber awareness.
Cyber Security: A People Problem
It’s a common misconception that cyber security is only a concern for IT teams. However, statistics reveal that the weakest links in digital safeguarding are often not the tech experts but everyday employees (including top executives) who may not be fully aware of cyber threats.
Think about it—if you were a cyber criminal, who would you target? Would it be the safety pros, vigilant and deeply knowledgeable about online risks, or the vulnerable, under-educated staff for whom cyber security is a foreign concept?
Whether through manipulation, error, or misuse, people are frequently the focus for attackers, not the technology they use.
How Employee Awareness Training Tackles Cloud Security Issues
Awareness training can dramatically mitigate these risks by educating employees about the tactics used by cyber criminals, such as phishing attacks, and the best practices for handling sensitive data. By transforming your staff from potential security liabilities into informed and active protectors of your SME’s digital assets, you make the best use of your built-in cyber shield.
Effective training should cover:
- Recognising and responding to phishing attempts.
- Secure management of passwords and authentication processes.
- Understanding the rights and wrongs of data handling, particularly in cloud environments.
On top of this, specialised training tailored to your organisation’s specific cloud platforms, facilitated by knowledgeable IT support in Reading, Berkshire, can empower employees to use these tools safely and efficiently. Training really is just as important for your cloud-based services as it is for any other aspect of your IT.
Thanks to the improved accessibility cloud solutions provide, there’s a tendency to use personal devices, like mobiles, for work-related tasks. The problem isn’t that phones are more at risk than computers—they’re both equally vulnerable to attacks. However, people tend to be more blasé with their personal devices, leading to cyber vulnerabilities.
Yes, remotely hosted software often has defences included, but that doesn’t mean your team is exonerated. It’s crucial they know where default protections begin and end and how to use them most effectively. After all, in the event of a security breach, it won’t be software your clients point fingers at.
Making Training Stick: Strategies for Effective Cyber Education
- Work Bottom-Up
The foundation of effective cyber security training lies in ensuring that every employee understands the basics. Simple concepts such as what constitutes a cyber threat and the basics of data privacy should be ingrained in your team. This foundational knowledge helps in building more advanced skills progressively and effectively.
Don’t overcomplicate things early on. Many are reluctant to engage with cyber security because they assume it takes a computer science degree to understand. On a daily basis, though, employees will be encountering fairly unsophisticated threats. Most of the time, these can be dealt with using straightforward strategies even the most technologically-challenged members of your team can master—with enough practice.
How-to: Partner with an IT support team in Berkshire to assess and educate your team from the ground up. Ensure that this training demystifies cyber security, breaking it down into easy-to-understand elements. This approach helps in reducing the intimidation factor associated with cyber security training.
- Make Cyber Awareness Training Regular (and Mandatory)
Cyber threats are constantly evolving; thus, cyber security training can’t be a one-time event. Regular, mandatory training ensures that all your employees, regardless of their role, stay updated on the latest threats and best practices.
How-to: Integrate ongoing cyber security training into your business calendar. Make participation compulsory—you could even consider making attendance a part of performance evaluations. Between sessions, practical exercises, like simulated phishing attacks, can reinforce the lessons and provide hands-on experience in a controlled environment.
Top Tips for Phishing Prevention Training That Works
- Gamify your training sessions to improve engagement and retention.
- Use pre-made phishing email templates to ensure realistic tests.
- Simulate attacks via online channels as well as email.
- Employ social engineering tactics to personalise messages.
Remember, boring cyber awareness training can be just as ineffective as no training at all. 83% of employees who take part in training with gamified elements feel more motivated, so ditch the hours-long PowerPoints in favour of something more interactive.
- Use Real-World Examples
Relevance: real-life examples of cyber attacks provide concrete context for the risks, reinforcing the importance of proper cloud security practices. When employees understand how similar businesses in Berkshire have been impacted, the lessons hit closer to home.
How-to: Collaborate with IT support in Reading, Berkshire, to gather recent, applicable examples of security breaches. Discuss these scenarios during training sessions to illustrate the direct consequences of security lapses and the benefits of effective preventive measures.
Conclusion: Cultivating a Culture of Cyber Security
Ultimately, your cloud security is only as strong as the least informed employee. Training is more than a tedious formality—in the remote and hybrid era, it’s an essential investment in your business’s protective measures. By fostering an environment where every employee is educated about cyber threats and best practices, SMEs in Berkshire can strengthen their defences against increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks both on-site and in the cloud. Effective cloud security starts not with software or tools but with knowledgeable and vigilant staff.
Solution Consultants: Quality IT Services for Businesses in Berkshire
We believe technology is the lifeblood of all growing SMEs. But IT on its own isn’t enough—your business needs a partner that focuses on great service and robust solutions. As an experienced and agile provider to over 350 SMEs, the support we provide our clients is what makes us truly unique.
Based in Reading, Solution Consultants provides cost-effective IT support to SMEs across Berkshire and the Thames Valley. We specialise in simplifying IT and making valuable technology accessible to all, no matter your budget or goals.
Want to fortify your cloud security? Reach out today for a chat with one of our friendly technicians—we’d love to hear from you!
