Take the Necessary Steps to Reduce the Risk of a Cyber Threat

Whilst the growth of the internet allows us all to share ideas and information, the simple truth is the internet is not a secure environment. With an ever increasing amount of personal data being stored online, hackers are launching an increasing number of cyberattacks via the internet to try and access this data.

For those of us that use the internet, either personally or professionally, the need for us to consider internet security therefore is a key concern. Businesses must consider both the legal requirements that they must adhere to and the economic and reputational damage that the company can suffer if their network is hacked and the data they hold accessed.

When considering the best steps to help secure this data, the training of employees should be high on the list and by delivering an IT security course to your employees you will provide them with the necessary tools and information to help them assist you in securing your data. SimplETraining is a market leader in the provision of Security Awareness Training with an extensive portfolio of courses available. We have the experience and depth of material and content to help you develop a programme of training enabling you to keep staff informed of the range of threats to watch out for and avoid when conducting day to day business, helping you to establish solid policies and procedures to help reduce the risk.

From off -the-shelf courses, to fully customised courses tailored to meet you own organisations requirements, simplEtraining can deliver a high quality IT security course to ensure your employees receive the key messages in an informative, engaging and interactive way.

If you would like further information on an appropriate IT security course for your business, please do not hesitate to contact simplEtraining today. A representative will be more than happy to answer your questions and assist you with your enquiry. Take action today before it is too late.

Become Internet Savvy with an Internet Security Course

Businesses need to be aware of the potential threat of hackers trying to access their company data.

With more and more data being held online and companies completing an ever increasing amount of their business via the internet, how many companies have ensured they have a strategy for training on such issues and the correct policies and procedures in place to manage the security of their data and minimise the risk of a cyberattack?

Security management courses for your employees should be a key part of any training programme in your security strategy and will help to ensure the safe management of your data.

simplEtraining can help you and your staff become more internet savvy by providing you with informative security management courses covering topics such as password management, viruses, hackers, phishing, social engineering and incident management. simplEtraining is an experienced provider of e-learning in the field of security awareness training and has an extensive range of security management courses available off-the-shelf, or can assist you to develop a fully bespoke course to meet your company’s specific requirements.

Our e-learning courses are developed using the latest adult learning techniques and incorporating interactivities, both helping to achieve a higher level of information retention and user buy-in to the key messages delivered within the training.

Let simplEtraining provide you with training to help you manage the risk of conducting business over the internet, therefore enabling you to make the most of the benefits the internet brings to you and your employees.

Don’t have your own learning management system? Use our iLMS to host your security awareness training, simplifying the implementation management and administration of your training programme.

Would you like to know more? Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like further information on the security management courses we can provide.

Protect your Reputation with an Internet Security Course

There is no escaping social networking sites; MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are not only a great way to keep in touch with loved ones and update others on our day to day activities, but they can also be used by organisations as a way of marketing, building contacts and promoting themselves to a wider audience.

Whilst the invention of these social networking sites may be seen as great technological inventions of the time, as with every step forward in technology there comes a risk that users must be made aware of. Are you or your staff one of the millions of people that have their own social media page on one of the popular platforms previously mentioned? Do you or your staff post personal or work related information? Do you or your staff access these sites whilst at work?

If you’ve answered yes to any of the above then you or your employees could potentially put personal, company or confidential client information at risk. But by completing an internet security course delivered by simplEtraining, you can reduce these risks by providing yourselves with the knowledge, information and tools required to help avoid a potentially damaging situation.

A large number of incidents relating to the loss or leaking of information, can be put down to user error or people not being aware of the consequences of their actions. An internet security course will help ensure you and your staff are fully aware of the risks of using social media and help equip you to use them in a way that protects both the individual and the organisation.

Be aware of the risks posed by:

• Individuals using their personal accounts to communicate work-related information
• Employees posting photographs or information linking them to your company
• Users accessing social media via company tools such as smartphones and the excessive use of these sites when at work.

Contact simplEtraining today and let us show you and your employees how to practice safe social networking and help ensure that your data remains protected and your company reputation intact.

Would you like to find out more? Speak to a representative of simplEtraining who will be more than happy to answer your questions.

SimplEtraining Deliver a Tailor Made IT Security Course for You

In the digital age that we live in there is no escaping technology as it is everywhere; from our personal lives through to the backbone of many successful companies the digital age has changed the way we live, work and play. But as the growth and development of technology continues apace, companies are having to spend more time, effort and money on ensuring the security of their data against the increasing number of sophisticated cyber attacks, and the increased risk of data loss.

Whilst there has been much product development to assist companies in securing their network and the data held, it is only in more recent years that consideration has been given to reducing the security risks that arise from the workforce accessing and using the network on a daily basis. Whether by accident or with malicious intent the amount of data that can potentially be leaked and/ or lost through human intervention has become one of the biggest security risks faced by companies.

With this in mind many companies are turning to training for their staff, and an IT security course can provide your workforce with the basic knowledge and best practices required to help protect your company’s data.

With a comprehensive library of courseware, an IT security course delivered by simplEtraining will give you the tools needed to educate your employees on the steps they need to take to help ensure a cyber attack is kept at bay and your company data is protected. Our IT security course can be branded with your company logos and customised to take into account your company’s culture, policies and procedures and any specific requirements you may have. With 41 courses available, the courseware not only covers all user training in a variety of themes, but also role specific training for the likes of managers and IT professionals. Courses are provided in an interactive format with simulation activities to aid greater user adoption and retention.

Access our e-learning courseware by opting for the hosted iLMS, a highly affordable learning management system where you can deliver, track and manage your training programme, or have the courseware uploaded to your own SCORM compliant LMS if you prefer.

A simplEtraining IT security course will help ensure that each of your employees receives a level of training that is company relevant and consistent across the organisation, helping to provide each of your employees with the tools that can assist them to safeguard your data.

Contact simplEtraining today to find out more.

How social networking could jeopardise your reputation

The development of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn are great for networking and communicating with friends, allowing individuals with common interests to come together and network with each other over the internet.

Over the years these sites have dramatically grown in popularity, with people openly sharing information about themselves, sometimes with little consideration being given as to the possible consequences of that information being available on the internet. Your employees may not be aware that when using these sites in both the home or work environment, they could potentially be putting both their personal information and company information at risk.  Without proper consideration and caution being taken they could potentially cause a risk not only to their own reputation but to the company’s reputation as well.

SimplEtraining can show you how putting a security awareness program in place within your company could help to considerably reduce this risk.  We will show you how to practice safe social networking in the interest of helping you to keep your information protected.

Below are some key tips to help ensure your data is kept safe. To learn more about our security awareness program please contact us today for more information.

Avoid posting sensitive information

This is probably the most important point to be made.  Your employees should be aware that once they have openly posted information on the internet via a social networking site, it is there for all to see. Once posted, it can then be extremely difficult to have it removed from all the sources that have seen it or connected to it.  When using a social networking site, your employees should always assume that anyone connecting to the internet could view or be forwarded any of the information posted, regardless of the privacy settings that they themselves have put in place.

Sensitive information includes, but is not limited to, personal data such as a date of birth, addresses, financial information, photographs, company plans, documents or confidential information. Employees should also be aware however that communications, general comments, thoughts and opinions expressed via social media could also be an issue if they relate to their job or work environment and can be seen in a negative light. If they want to avoid the possibility of sensitive information posted being openly available to anyone online, then it’s better not to post it all.   

Understand the privacy settings; they are there for a reason

It’s very easy to set up an online account and just accept the terms and conditions without thoroughly reading what you are signing up to. By skipping over this information you may without realising it, be agreeing for a social networking site to sell your personal information to other parties such as spamming companies without any further consent being required.

The level of privacy settings available to you can also vary from site to site, with some actively encouraging you to share and encourage the disclosure of information, whereas others may provide you with some level of anonymity. Even if privacy settings are available they are commonly not automatically included in the default account settings and require you to set them up yourself.  

Ensure your employees are aware of the pitfalls and remain safe and secure when networking online – contact us to find out more about our security awareness program.

How a security awareness programme can make your employees a security asset

Educating all your staff about information security will not only be useful for them in giving them the tools to recognise any potential risks, it will also help your organisation identify new threats as they arise from employee feedback, creating a more alert and forthcoming workforce.

Almost every single one of your employees will handle information of a sensitive nature every day as part of their day to day routine.  It should therefore be a part of their job description that they understand the importance of information security and the risks it brings with it.  Let us educate your employees to reduce the chance of your company being a victim. 

Unfortunately there are always hackers waiting to gain access to your network and data so let’s not make life easy due to poor understanding of security management.  Your employees can open the gateways to these hackers without realising it, but with adequate training they can also handle an incident should it occur or reduce the threat of it happening.

In addition to this simplEtraining keeps up to date with regulatory compliance so you can rest assured that the security awareness training that is completed by your employees will be provided with up to date content and guidance.

You can also be guaranteed that our content is pitched at the right level taking into consideration that some employees may have little or a very basic understanding of security awareness.  You can expect training to be engaging and tailored to you and your company.

With the ever increasing requirement to store data electronically, there will always be security threats on the horizon and it would be more comforting to be able to consider that alongside the technology you use to protect your data that one of the security assets available to you and your business is your staff. It is only with adequate training that they will be confident and clear as to how to handle the information and data you have.

There are new security threats being created every day and many companies are spending thousands and thousands of pounds in time and effort trying to protect their information ensuring it is safe and secure.  But this time and effort will often only be wasted if employees don’t understand their role within information security.

Large government bodies are proof that the best state of the art technology and strict policies will not entirely protect you.  They do not prevent an employee leaving their unsecure laptop on a train with hundreds of customer details on it.  A security awareness programme could have ensured that this employee was more protective of his/her laptop.

Other security threats we will advise your employees about on our security awareness programme, include the need to have a strong password and how the improper control of laptops and other devices can lead to a loss of important data or even allow a network attack by hackers.

Be ahead of the game with security awareness training

We are all aware there are certain measures that we need to take to ensure our computer systems are safe and secure from hackers. Therefore it should come as no surprise that the majority of companies have taken relevant steps to put firewalls and virus protection in place to minimise any risk to hardware and software within the company.

To take it a step further, policies should also have been created so that all employees are aware of their responsibilities when it comes to security awareness. But is this enough? How can you convince yourself that every individual has read the policy and they have sufficient understanding and furthermore this understanding is consistent across the organisation? This is why it is time to talk about security awareness training.

Your security strategy will only be successful if your employees have been a part of it and have a sufficient understanding through appropriate training. Therefore security awareness training should not be understated. The goal of this training is to educate employees on potential threats and give them the tools and skills to prevent these threats from becoming a reality. A much larger goal would also be to change the culture of the organisation permanently. In fact SimplEtraining will help you get the importance of information security across to your employees in an engaging course and get that all important buy in. Once your users have bought in to the idea they will be more than willing to enforce it in their day to day job role. 

 

SimplEtraining can show you that security awareness training can be that extra layer of defence, dramatically decreasing the risk of security threats.

Our training courses are tailored to meet your needs and requirements. They provide a solid foundation ensuring attendees of the course are aware of malware, Trojans, viruses and phishing which are all important areas in which to build upon. Other key areas included in the training are the importance of not using personal devices when in the office or even accessing emails from personal mobiles at home. The employee may think this is acceptable and OK but in actual fact they are potentially opening the gateways to hackers. While employees should not be discouraged from going the extra mile and responding to emails etc from home, our training will provide guidance on the potential risks this involves and ways to reduce this risk and protect the company information.

The training materials developed will reflect your own corporate policies. Our cost effective programme could make a significant difference to your organisation. We have many clients that come back to us time and time again. Why? We do not offer a programme straight out the box. We take the time to listen to your goals and what you are hoping to achieve from the course and develop a course that meets these requirements.

Our clients are our priority. Consider security awareness training for your employees, you will not be disappointed. The results speak for themselves.