n the digital age, organisations are acutely aware of the importance of safeguarding sensitive information and keeping data away from prying eyes. More and more business is being conducted online, making it ever-more crucial that appropriate safeguards are put in place. Data breaches can result in fines for the organisations involved, and also cause reputational damage which has long-lasting impacts for the business as a whole.
So no wonder then that organisations are eager to shore up their defences and minimise the chances of an incident occurring. Technology has a role to play in reducing the likelihood of a breach, but education is equally important. Employees need to know what they can and can't do online, and how their actions over the internet can cause problems for their organisation.
In a survey conducted by recruitment company Robert Half, chief information officers (CIOs) highlighted the importance of employee training to their overall IT security strategies. When questioned on the measures they are currently taking, or planning to take in the next 12 months to enhance security, employee training was highlighted as the number one priority. Some 54 per cent of IT bosses said learning and development sessions on technology defences were part of their overall security strategy.
Other priorities identified by CIOs included enhancing the vetting of firms with access to company data (45 per cent), adding IT security personnel (41 per cent), implementing multifactor authentication processes (41 per cent) and contracting with third-party vendors or adding tools to enhance security (41 per cent).
IT leaders clearly recognise the importance of security training to their organisations. But arranging learning sessions is not enough in itself. Organisations need to ensure the training is of sufficient quality and that employees take all the necessary information onboard. From this perspective, the more professional the training set-up the better.
Using specialist off-site training facilities can help organisation deliver higher-quality training sessions, which employees engage with more effectively and derive greater benefits from. Staging sessions away from employees' usual workplace reinforces the importance of the training, while also eliminating many of the distractions which can hamper in-the-office learning.
