Education that teaches employees to recognize and avoid cyber threats such as phishing, scams, and unsafe handling of data.
Because many attacks begin by tricking a person, staff behaviour is a major part of an organization's defenses. Security awareness training covers topics such as spotting phishing emails and texts, creating strong passwords, using multi-factor authentication, handling sensitive data, reporting suspicious activity, and verifying payment requests.
Effective programs are short, regular, and relevant to people's actual jobs, rather than a long annual video. Many organizations run simulated phishing exercises, sending realistic test emails and offering immediate guidance to anyone who clicks. For example, a law firm might train its accounts team specifically on fake invoice and bank detail change scams. Training should encourage people to report mistakes quickly without fear of punishment, since early reporting often limits the damage of an attack.
A scam in which criminals impersonate or take over a business email account to trick staff into sending money or sensitive data.
PhishingA social engineering attack that uses fake emails, messages, or websites to trick people into revealing information or installing malware.
Social EngineeringManipulating people into breaking security practices, such as sharing passwords or granting access, rather than attacking technology directly.
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