When a data breach hit almost 10 million Optus customers in 2022, executives around the country likely sighed with relief that they weren’t in then-CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin’s shoes. But that relief may be short-lived: cyberattacks have more than doubled since COVID-19, a growing threat that is largely the result of advances in AI.
These attacks are affecting businesses across sizes and across all sectors. According to the World Economic Forum, the government and military, education and research, health care, and communications sectors suffer the greatest number of attacks per week, and there’s also been a notable surge in attacks on small businesses.
Keeping pace with cybersecurity might feel like an overwhelming ask, particularly if you’re a small organisation with a limited budget. But the cost of not staying one step ahead of the latest cyberthreat is likely to cost you far more — just ask the financial sector, which has lost more than $12 billion to cybercrime in the last 20 years.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. If you ever needed a sign from the universe that it’s time to get serious about online security, this is it.
Cybersecurity is everyone's problem
There are a few ways to go about building cybersecurity capacity in your organisation.
Hiring specialised talent is likely to pay dividends, but in a global workforce that’s falling 4 million bodies short, it’s not always a cost-effective or viable option.
Investing in more robust tech systems also has its merit. Still, it’s worth noting that cybersecurity is as much a people issue as it is an issue of technology — a study from Verizon in the US found that a whopping 82% of breaches were the result of human error. As such, it’s important to tackle cybercrime preparedness from multiple angles.
When it comes to getting staff on board with cybersecurity protocols, it’s important to remember that all your staff members, not just those in tech roles, are at risk of inadvertently causing cyber breaches — even a simple action like clicking on an email link can be the catalyst for disaster. Equipping everyone in your workforce with role-appropriate cybersecurity knowledge is key to keeping data and systems safe.
Training that has people at its core
Employees with more of a technical background, such as IT professionals, will benefit from specialised training that helps them expand their existing cybersecurity knowledge. The NSW Institute of Applied Technology offers courses in Penetration Testing, Ethical Hacking and Offensive Security, as well as in System and Network Attacks Simulation, while UTS Open offers targeted short forms of learning that integrate data analytics into cybersecurity.
For people in less technical roles, awareness training can help build fundamental knowledge of cybersecurity risks — per Forbes, this type of training teaches employees about risks as they relate to their specific roles and what sort of impersonation or breach attempts they should be on the lookout for.
| Plus UTS can equip your staff with vital cybersecurity awareness expertise that will prepare them to identify and prevent attacks before they occur. Ready to get started? Visit Plus UTS or contact us to find out how our expert trainers can create a customised cybersecurity training package for your team. |
