The saying ‘you’re only as strong as your weakest link’ was coined well before the dawn of the digital age. But never has it been more appropriate in an era when online threats, like ransomware, occur daily.

Protecting your business from crippling—and costly—cyberattacks may seem daunting, considering that any employee with a company email could be a target. Yet there are steps you can take to harden their stance and shield your company from disaster.

It Starts With Comprehensive Phishing Awareness Training

Phishing awareness training is essential to any enterprise that values customer privacy, network security, brand stability, and uninterrupted day-to-day operations. For most, if not all, businesses, it’s essential.

Training Alternatives and Options

As with most employee training programs, there are different ways to do it. We look at some options available to businesses and the pros and cons here.

In House

 Because phishing exploits email technology, an in-house training solution typically starts with the Chief Information Officer or head of IT. They are responsible for developing an ongoing plan that teaches employees how to:

• Recognize phishing emails.

• React if they think they’ve been targeted.

• Respond fast if they click a suspicious link or download something malicious.

Despite a wide range of online and elsewhere materials that can help facilitate in-house training, it’s a significant amount of extra work for most IT professionals. And while it may cost less and offer more control, it impacts bandwidth, potentially leaving other technical areas vulnerable.

SaaS Solution

Many information security and training firms offer software as a service options that give you access to sophisticated tools and analytics. If you like the idea of having the latest training and tools at your disposal but still want to run things, this may be an option.

A typical Saas information security awareness program may allow you to:

• Run simulated phishing exercises that help identify vulnerable employees.

• Determine your business’ click rate so you can benchmark and improve.

• Access additional training and phishing awareness content, such as videos and infographics.

• Download additional analytics for reporting.

A SaaS solution may be right for your business if you value control as well as up-to-date phishing awareness training tools, tactics, and content. There’s a do-it-yourself downside; however, that makes it incumbent upon you to learn, implement and maintain the program to be effective.

Concierge

Most firms that offer a SaaS solution for information security awareness also offer a higher level of service if you’re willing to pay for it. In return, you can expect a variety of perks that make this approach worth the investment, including:

• A dedicated consultant who can help implement your program.

• The latest tools, tactics, and phishing and security awareness training materials.

• Access to hundreds of simulated phishing emails for employee testing.

• Training content libraries that may include games, training, videos, and interactive quizzes that test comprehension and report back to you.

The breadth of services a concierge provider offers has made it a popular choice and investment for Fortune 500 firms and enterprise businesses that put a premium on awareness training. While it comes at a cost, typically priced in tiers or as a per-user expense, the payoff of a comprehensive approach could mean greater peace of mind.

Your Wi-Fi’s Role In Network Security

While phishing is one avenue for cyber attackers, a compromised Wi-Fi network can also mean trouble for your business. The simple act of an employee revealing login credentials or a business Wi-Fi password could directly attack your network.

On a subtler front, a network that’s been breached can invite bad actors who impersonate existing employees to snoop for information or groom unsuspecting colleagues into handing over account numbers and financial information.

Using Sparklight Business Wi-Fi service ensures you’ll enjoy the latest Wi-Fi technology and security. However, even the most advanced security features can be compromised if users aren’t careful. It’s one of the many reasons we recommend Sparklight Managed Wi-Fi for enterprise businesses, which offers cloud management for faster deployment, simplified administration, and richer visibility.

 Our experts are available and would love to discuss the potential of Sparklight Managed Wi-Fi solutions for your business.