Should cybersecurity education be mandatory for staff?

By Richard Dornhart, National Security Practice Mananger, Data^#3

[Reading time: 1 min]

It’s obvious that cybersecurity is a serious problem for IT departments, with the “human IT-security factor” coming to the fore as a top concern. According to new research, 63% of Australian organisations have had to deal with at least one cybersecurity incident in the past year.

One of the main concerns for IT departments is that human error is becoming more of a risk than ever before, stemming from the adoption of Cloud, mobility and changes in business operations.

Making matters worse, 72% of Australian respondents expect cybersecurity to become a higher priority in the coming years. And yet, most experts agree that general carelessness with passwords, lack of expertise, and the inability to keep up with new threats were the main reasons employees failed to protect themselves better.

In essence, I believe that strategies, such as making cybersecurity education mandatory, and delivering them more often, are imperative to companies who need to better protect themselves against unintentional (or intentional) sabotage.

A recommended article for technology leaders looking for more effective ways to combat this ongoing problem: http://www.cso.com.au/article/599393/cios-csos-feel-powerless-fix-human-it-security-hole