Many people who use the internet focus on the convenience it offers. They can research any topic imaginable in a matter of minutes or instantly talk to friends who live in other countries. However, as much as the internet has been a game-changer for modern society, it has also created new opportunities for online perpetrators to wreak havoc. Fortunately, training can help people learn the best ways to avoid such attacks.
Hacks Happen Frequently
A brief look at recent news headlines will show that people cannot assume that any business has immunity from hackers’ attempts. Although some criminals operating online attack smaller firms, they also love causing problems for major brands. Consider, for example, that T-Mobile recently got hacked, suffering its fourth data breach since 2018.
Hackers are experts at finding a target’s weaknesses and exploiting those vulnerabilities. However, when a person has relevant training to spot and stop those attacks, online criminals have much tougher tasks.
In the best-case scenarios, victims learn from their mistakes and promptly patch the entry points that allowed criminals to access and steal content. Education ensures that internet security experts stay abreast of the latest criminal tactics and defense practices.
The Work-From-Home Trend Broadens the Attack Surface
The COVID-19 pandemic made many company leaders decide to let their teams work from home in the interest of public health and safety. After it became apparent that many employees could do their jobs as well or better while at home, some decision-makers concluded that they could work from home for the foreseeable future. Such an arrangement can save money for employers and boost employee morale. However, it may also set the stage for online attacks.
More specifically, it’s harder for internet security teams to verify that people follow best practices while at home. In some cases, companies permitted employees to work remotely, but that transition happened without giving the workers any new instructions about staying safe online while away from their typical workplaces.
Working from home does not have to increase the likelihood of online attacks, however. If security professionals receive relevant training that they pass onto employees, that process keeps everyone informed. Penetration testing company know how to safeguard against issues, plus spot the warning signs of possible attack attempts.
Ongoing Training Usually Does Not Occur
Many company leaders have the wrong ideas on how to educate their teams about online attack techniques and prevention methods. People may hear about those things when they get hired or after a company experiences internet security issues but beyond that, the training does not happen as often as it should.
A poll about cybersecurity education decisions in the United Kingdom revealed that only 8% of respondents received regular security training. Another finding from the same survey was that only 28% of firms polled provided that education to their distributed workforces. That’s particularly worrying since more people are getting work done without coming into their companies’ offices.
Online security is a fast-moving industry. Perpetrators continually come up with new ways to take their victims by surprise and cause as much damage as possible. Similarly, hard-working people who are experts in securing networks develop new, better ways to prevent attacks and become more aware of them before hackers can carry out their full plans. Regular education ensures that people have the knowledge they need to respond to the changing internet security landscape.
Education Is More Accessible Than Ever
The good news is that cyber security training is readily available through online platforms. People can go through learning paths that fit their career goals and workplace needs and get educated at their convenience. Some providers also offer unlimited lab time, so that learners can go through real-world simulations created by industry experts and can help sharpen their skills.
Cybersecurity training courses also feature insights that help students understand some of the biggest changes affecting the sector. One example of an emerging option is extended detection and response (XDR). Compared to endpoint detection and response (EDR), XDR takes a much broader approach to screen for potential attacks. Besides giving visibility into each endpoint, it shows organizations’ details about their networks and cloud workloads.
Cybersecurity professionals can set themselves up for success by pursuing high-quality education. Whether they’re working towards a new industry certification or want to put themselves in a good position to achieve a promotion, quality training material keeps these professionals at the top of their game. That’s advantageous for the respective individuals, as well as the companies that rely on their expertise and recommendations.
Training does not allow companies to steer clear of every possible attack scenario. However, it makes a substantial and positive difference by enabling workers to know about the most prevalent best practices in the sector and how to apply them to their tasks.
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