Why UAT needs company-wide buy-in

User awareness training (UAT) is a vital part of any enterprise’s cyber security strategy. Not only can it help to identify and manage threats to your data, but it also provides an important way for your staff to learn about the risks they face every day. In this way, your employees are able to protect your company from a range of cyber attacks and social engineering strategies, such as phishing attacks.

So, what is UAT? It’s a process in which employees (or users) are educated about the cyber risks associated with their jobs and how to avoid them. Professional service providers can provide learning content using various types of media, including presentations and videos, to name a few.

4C Group has partnered with KnowBe4, a leader in UAT and cyber security education for businesses. Through this partnership, we offer a highly effective way to minimise the risks of social engineering attempts by empowering employees with knowledge and increased cyber security awareness.

UAT should form part of a company’s cyber security plan.

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UAT should form part of any organisation’s cyber security plan as it helps to build a culture of user-friendly security and reduces the risk of data breaches. However, it’s not always easy to convince people that they need the training in the first place.

Once a company decides to implement UAT, it needs absolute buy-in from all employees, including senior management and IT teams. It’s a valuable process that everyone needs to understand and take part in, in addition to their usual deliverables. Without this, the entire process may be a waste of time and resources.

UAT also costs money, so many business leaders view it as an unnecessary expense. However, there are many benefits to investing in this type of training. Firstly, the company will reduce its risk profile by making sure every employee understands how to use technology safely and securely.

Secondly, productivity will be improved by reducing downtime due to malware infections, data breaches and server downtime. This will give employees confidence that they’re doing everything possible to protect themselves against cyber threats.

The risk of a phishing attack is always present.

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It’s essential that all staff members are aware of their role in protecting sensitive information. Everyone who uses a computer for any of their tasks should undergo training courses, from the CEO and IT manager to secretaries and junior staff.

Social engineering tactics are incredibly advanced nowadays and some are nearly impossible to detect when you’re in a rush. This means the risk of a successful phishing attack is always present, despite firewalls, e-mail filters and the perceived knowledge of how to identify these threats by employees.

When implementing UAT, it’s important to consider the following steps:

• Identify the right people for the job. UAT should be given to all staff members who work with computers, technology or with sensitive data. The IT department also needs to undergo training, even if those employees believe they already know about cyber security best practices.
• Create an action plan for implementing UAT throughout your organisation’s different departments or teams so everyone learns about how they can protect sensitive data from cyber attacks and other threats before they happen.

Managers play a crucial role in the success of training initiatives. They help to ensure the programme is effective and that all employees understand the concepts and practices taught. Managers can also ensure that all staff members know what they should do if they suspect any issues with security or privacy on their devices, such as malware infections or phishing scams.

In addition, managers and business leaders can support employees by explaining how to use tools, such as self-paced e-learning courses and live webinars, so they can improve their understanding of IT security topics. This buy-in from senior management and executives sets an important precedent for the rest of the employees.

UAT is the best way to ensure that your staff members are aware of the risks associated with digital technologies and how they can protect the enterprise from those risks. 4C Group provides UAT to enterprises in South Africa, helping to improve their cyber security postures and knowledge bases. For more information about our cyber security services, please contact us today.