October 12. Training: Empowering your human firewall

Technology alone will not fully protect an organisation; people are often considered the weakest link or biggest vulnerability in the security chain, but they can also be the strongest. Cyber security training is not just an option, but an absolute necessity.

Regular cyber security training is essential for everyone, from employees to family members.  It equips individuals with the knowledge to recognise threats like phishing, understand safe browsing habits and follow security procedures and protocols.  Effective training should involve real-world examples, be engaging and repeated regularly to reinforce key messages.
Investing in cost-effective cyber security training is one of the best investments you can make.

Effective training goes beyond simply telling people what not to do. It aims to empower individuals with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to:

• Recognise Threats: Help them identify common attack vectors like phishing emails, smishing texts, vishing calls, and malicious websites. Training often includes simulated phishing exercises to build practical recognition skills.

• Understand Risks: Explain the potential consequences of security lapses, both for individuals (identity theft, financial loss) and for organisations (data breaches, financial penalties, reputational damage).

• Follow Best Practices: Educate on secure habits, such as using strong passwords, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), securely handling sensitive data, and using secure Wi-Fi.

• Report Incidents: Clearly define the process for reporting suspicious emails, unusual system behaviour, or potential security incidents, fostering a culture of proactive reporting.

• Comply with Policies: Ensure employees understand and adhere to the organisation's cybersecurity policies and procedures.

Key elements of effective training:

• Regular and Ongoing: Cybersecurity threats evolve constantly, so training shouldn't be a one-off event. Regular refreshers keep knowledge current.

• Engaging and Relevant: Use real-world examples, interactive modules, and relatable scenarios. Generic, boring training is ineffective.

• Tailored to Roles: Different roles have different risks. Tailor training to address specific responsibilities and access levels.

• Reinforcement: Use awareness campaigns, posters, newsletters, and regular communication to reinforce key messages.

Investing in robust and continuous cybersecurity training transforms your human workforce from a potential vulnerability into a formidable line of defence, significantly strengthening your overall security posture.

All staff should regularly do data protection training, and cyber security awareness.  If you are a school or multi academy trust, the DfE says you must train anyone that has access to your network annually.   However, this is good practice for any organisation.  Review the DfE Digital Standards to understand more about how to train your staff.

💡Today's Cyber Tip: Raise cyber security awareness today!

Raise cyber security awareness in your organisation today by putting up some posters today.  We have some free ones you can download:  https://harrythehacker.co.uk/

Alternatively review the NCSC

Consider including a phishing campaign as a part of that training exercise.

Other training ideas: Data Protection and Cyber Security (Inset Day) Training Ideas
Are you looking for some data protection training for your inset day(s) at the start of term?  Here are some ideas about how to raise awareness around data protection and cyber security for your staff. 

The training should be relevant, accurate and up to date. Training and awareness makes sure that all employees receive appropriate training about your privacy programme, including what its goals are, what it requires people to do and what responsibilities they have.  

Remember that data protection training should be part of your staff onboarding process. All staff should receive refresher training, regardless of how long they will be working for your organisations, their contractual status or grade.    Staff should complete refresher training at appropriate intervals.

The ICO advises:


Further guidance about training: ICO: Training and Awareness which is part of the Accountability Framework.

We would recommend that staff are aware of your own data protection policies and procedures, their own responsibilities regards data protection and cyber security/cyber awareness training.

We've put together a list of free resources for training:

Data Protection Education Resources

The News Pages of the Data Protection Education Website - this gives up to date data protection and cyber security awareness.

If you are a school, review our Schools Best Practice Area, the Examples and Advice tab will give school related examples of data breaches, cyber attacks and reprimands that some school staff may relate to.

Review our Training Courses, as videos can be played in a meeting for staff that may not have regular access to a computer.

Where's Harry the Hacker worksheet is a good interactive training resources to spot data breaches and create discussion.

Review the DPE Drip Feeds - posters section of our website, for posters to print and create awareness as part of your training programme.

Regularly check in with your Data Protection Education consultant as part of our commitment to compliance for more guidance about training.

If you are a school, we recommend also reviewing how cyber training now links to Keeping Children Safe in Education for September: How KCSIE is linked to Cyber Strategy

If you are a Data Protection Education customer then all staff can be added to our Knowledge Bank and assigned training courses, including your governors and trustees: Assigning courses to staff using to-dos

ICO Data Protection Training

The ICO provides a series of short training videos:

• An introduction to data protection for small businesses and sole traders
• Data protection for direct marketing: a two-minute guide
• Data protection explained in three minutes
• Top tips for small businesses in the land and property sector
• Data protection in small schools
• Data protection for small healthcare organisations
• Cyber security guidance for small businesses
• Training resources for small businesses
• How to make your next subject access request easier to handle
• Two minutes on privacy notices
• Two minutes on records management
• Data Sharing Series - Safeguarding Children
• Soft opt-in for email and text marketing: a two-minute guide
• Data protection and telephone marketing: a two-minute guide

Cyber Security Training

NCSC Top Tips for Staff Interactive Video
Cyber Security Training for School Staff

DPE Knowledge Bank Guidance and Support:

For schools and colleges, six of the DfE Digital Standards are now mandatory. We have a DfE Digital Standards Tracker tool help you track your cyber resilience and your progress: 

   

Review our Cyber Security Best Practice Area for micro learning, support, guidance and policies:

Cyber Security Best Practice Area

Why not have a look at our 'specialist' trainer Harry the Hacker :