During cybersecurity month we should reexamine the biggest cybersecurity risk to our organization. While firewalls and technical safeguards form a strong first line of defense. Human error remains one of the most common vectors for network compromise, making staff a primary target for malicious actors. Think of security awareness training as fortifying your human firewall, equipping staff to identify and report threats before bad actors gain access to your network. If you don’t train them to recognize the threats, you’re sending them into a fight without knowing what they’re looking for. A documented and scheduled staff training plan should be in place and followed—not just as a best practice, but as a fundamental requirement for maintaining a secure and resilient institution. It is the ounce of prevention that wards off potentially catastrophic breaches and costly recovery efforts.
Recent spikes in social engineering attacks, particularly Business Email Compromise (BEC) and targeted phishing in educational institutions, perfectly illustrate the importance of staff training. Cybercriminals frequently target school and library employees with urgent, fraudulent emails disguised as official HR notifications, payroll updates, or portal resets. If left untrained, an employee might inadvertently hand over login credentials or download malicious attachments. Imagine a scenario where an attacker successfully phishes an administrator’s account. They could steal sensitive PII, disrupt daily operations with ransomware, or redirect wire transfers. By promptly and consistently training staff to recognize phishing indicators, enforce strong password habits, and report suspicious activity, you effectively close these security holes and protect your institution from such threats.
Fostering a security-first culture through continuous education and awareness is the cornerstone of a robust cybersecurity posture. MOREnet has security awareness resources and training plan guidance to help you get started.
MOREnet has consortium discounts on Infosec IQ to assist an ongoing cyber security awareness program with metrics for your staff.
MOREnet security can also provide staff presentations.
For more information on this just email security@more.net.