Six Common Objections To Cybersecurity Awareness

Cybersecurity awareness is a crucial issue for the security of information and PC frameworks. Online protection mindfulness plans to advise your representatives regarding the dangers and set up measures to forestall them. Notwithstanding, you might confront protests like obviousness, depreciation of the issue or intricacy of the subject. Accordingly, it is essential to comprehend these deterrents to conquer them and ensure ideal network protection mindfulness.

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“I Don’t See The Point.”

Cybersecurity awareness is a subject that is increasingly mentioned in the media, especially with the increase in attacks and new threats that can be encountered. However, even if it is an essential subject, it is not necessarily acquired by all. Therefore, the first objection you may encounter is ignorance of the threats around us. The employee may know in broad terms what cybersecurity is, but they need to be aware of its extent and expectations. Thus, it is essential in your speech to recall the impact of potential threats on the company and its activity:

Data loss
Violation of private information
Halts activity partially, reducing productivity
Loss of turnover
Bad image and loss of client/partner trust

It is, therefore, necessary to raise awareness of the risk by informing precisely, with clear and precise illustrations. For example, they may have been using recent attacks and the consequences they had.

“I Am Not The Target.”

Only large companies are the targets of cyberattacks. However, it is not the case! Many VSEs and SMEs are also victims. According to the Verizon study, 43% of cyberattacks targeted SMEs in 2021. Hackers are interested in this because they have different security devices than large companies. They often need to be better protected, and it is easier to hack into their computer systems.

Like everyday accidents, as long as we are not the victim of a cyberattack, we do not become aware of the risks we are exposed to. It may only happen to others, which is a severe mistake. Any company and any user are potential victims of a hacker. Some employees may also not pay attention to it because they need access to sensitive company data.

However, even if they do not have direct access, they remain a gateway for hackers. Indeed, they are connected on the same network as their colleagues, who can access the company’s confidential and sensitive data. Therefore, in your awareness campaign, it is essential to remember that everyone is affected by the attacks. Each employee, regardless of their hierarchical level, their job or the department in which they work, must be involved in their company’s cybersecurity.

“It’s A Waste Of Time And Hurts My Productivity.”

Your employees may be reluctant to raise cybersecurity awareness because they think it would take too much time and would weigh down their already busy schedule. Today, awareness-raising methods are much more accessible and fit better into everyone’s schedules. With e-learning or phishing tests, your teams can train effectively in cybersecurity thanks to short formats without information overload.

Some users also find the rules too restrictive. For them, vigilance and monitoring steps waste time and slow down their productivity. Granted, security takes extra effort, but it is necessary. Your employees will take longer to complete a task.

However, it should be remembered that all its rules are implemented to avoid a partial or total shutdown of activity in the event of cyberattacks. It isn’t very kind for good. By being more vigilant and applying good practices daily, we avoid a partial or total shutdown which will cause us to lose precious minutes and money.

“No One Does; Why Would I Bother?”

Sometimes an employee allows himself to skip a check or a security practice on the assumption that it’s only once and then that “no one always does the right thing”. According to Cesin’s 2022 cybersecurity barometer, only 60% of employees comply with the regulations. Remember that users are the root cause of cybersecurity breaches. According to Verizon’s 2022 investigative report, they are involved in more than 82% of security breaches.

According to Google, 4.2% of phishing emails are opened by recipients, and 12.4% of links are used. One in eight people who receive a phishing email clicks on its malicious link. For this reason, we must insist on the mobilization and vigilance of ALL, whether it is a question of collective or individual safety rules. Everyone must face their best to respect them.

If a person gives himself the right to ignore it, he can penalize the whole team in the event of an attack. In cybersecurity, your employees must understand their role in the company’s cyber defense strategy and take it seriously.

“It’s Too Complex For Me.”

Cybersecurity and all around it can seem very technical and out of reach. People who need computer savvy may think it’s beyond their capacity. Now, very interactive and fun awareness-raising methods allow you to ask all possible questions. They lead to discussion and make it possible to decomplexify the subject so that all understand it well. Your teams will learn basic gestures that are easy to adopt daily, providing real security for your company.

Some examples of good practice:

Strong password: avoid sequences of numbers that are easily found, 1234, birthdays, etc.
Double authentication: in addition to a strong password, you can set up double security, for example, with the request for a code that you receive by sms or email
Make backups regularly and on different media, in particular on the Cloud, for example, to avoid attacks and total data loss.
Perform updates in time because they reinforce flaws in the previous version
Be vigilant, for example, on emails. Pay attention to the issuer to the design of the email to spot any potential attacks.

“I Already Have The Safety Equipment.”

Various hardware or software security solutions are there to protect your information system best. However, attacks continually evolve, and their primary goal is to circumvent these protections. As a reminder, cybersecurity equipment will never protect you 100%. Basing your cyber defense strategy solely on these security solutions is strongly discouraged.

Since your employees are a target of choice for cybercriminals, it is in your interest to mobilize resources to raise their awareness effectively on the subject. Thus, they will become a natural rampart and no longer open the door to cyberattacks. Hardware security solutions are undoubtedly essential, but the behavior of users in the face of cyber threats is just as important. It is by having the two solid actors that your security will be reinforced.