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Cybercrime has a significant impact on many businesses. Those who fall victim to cybercriminals can experience operational disruptions, substantial financial losses, and reputational damage. Some companies even have their intellectual property stolen, which can end up in the wrong hands. The effects of a cyber attack can last for several years. It can even spell the end of business operations altogether.

Although it may be impossible to prevent all cyberattacks, your people can still be your first line of defense with the right type of training. Here are some valuable training tips to help your team spot threats:  

Ask for Expert Help

If you’re not a cybersecurity expert, you can’t hope to help your employees become them. Reach out to local IT support companies for help. They can provide a range of IT and cybersecurity solutions and impart their wisdom to help you create a well-informed team.

Some IT experts can even provide resources and training programs to support you as you train your team to spot potential cyber threats. 

Offer Customized Training Programs

There’s nothing wrong with standardized training programs. They provide insight into the many different cybersecurity threats that exist. However, such programs can be overwhelming for employees who aren’t familiar with internet dangers at all. 

As a result, customized training programs can be more valuable. You can create such programs for individual departments or employees based on the threats they may face. As a result, employees can understand what to look for based on their role and what their responsibilities are in preventing a threat. 

Organize Simulation Exercises

Employees can read about scams, hackers, and general cybercrime, but that doesn’t mean they understand it in a real-life setting. Consider exploring simulation exercises that mimic what potential threats might look like.

These exercises can test your employees’ abilities to identify social engineering attacks and phishing emails. Learning about cyber threats as if they’re really happening may ensure you make the right decisions to protect yourself and your business in the event of an actual attack.

Simulation exercises can also be a great learning opportunity. Employees who make mistakes can learn where they went wrong and take different actions in real life. 

Provide Regular Training

As unenthused as your employees might be about attending regular cybersecurity training, it can help cement important information in their minds. In fact, a study exploring training for new technology found that achieving and maintaining competency can require repeat training sessions. 

Rather than booking a one-off session with a training provider, request multiple sessions on a set schedule. You may also request more intensive training as part of the onboarding process for new employees. The more your team is exposed to this information, the easier it might be for them to spot a threat and protect your company. 

Send Out Reminders

Cybersecurity threats are constantly changing. When some cyberattack methods fall out of favor with hackers, there’s always a new one to take its place. Don’t let your employees get complacent. Stay abreast of cybersecurity trends and send them reminders and new information when you learn it. The more they know about current threats, the easier it might be for them to spot one and report it with no harm done.

Cybersecurity threats aren’t always obvious. Still, they can be when you know what to look for. Train yourself and your team to spot threats using the techniques above, and you may be able to keep your business as protected as possible.