Cybersecurity Begins with Your Team: Proven Strategies to Avoid Costly Breaches and Ensure Compliance

Christopher Souza | CEO

Despite advancements in security technology, human error remains the top cause of security breaches, with untrained employees often falling victim to phishing, social engineering, and mishandling of sensitive data. Emails alone present numerous potential threats, underscoring the need for regular, up-to-date training to help employees navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape. At TSI, we’ve outlined four essential practices to empower your team to become a robust first line of defense against cyberattacks.

1. You Need to Start “Scamming” Your Employees

As shown by the data above, phishing accounts for nearly half of all email breaches. These fraudulent emails can appear to originate from within the organization itself or even from a trusted client and contain links or attachments with embedded code designed to deliver ransomware or grant unauthorized access to your company’s files.

While it’s easy to assume that your employees certainly won’t fall for obvious phishing attempts, the only way to ensure that your employee are appropriately handling suspicious emails is to conduct routine, simulated phishing attacks to confirm your employees are practicing cybersafe hygiene and maintaining a healthy degree of paranoia.  At the end of the day, it only takes one wrong click for an employee to unwittingly become a victim and expose your entire organization to a breach.

According to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, phishing remains a leading cause of breaches, with about 90% of breaches involving phishing as a primary attack vector. Additionally, human error is a factor in approximately 85% of breaches, making employee training a crucial defense against these threats.

2. Educate Employees to Understand Their Cybersecurity Impact

Employees not directly involved in cybersecurity often underestimate the sheer volume and severity of threats targeting their company every single day. Even those with some awareness may lack the skills to respond effectively. Without proper training, human error continues to rank as one of the leading causes of security breaches—vulnerabilities that cybercriminals are quick to exploit.

By providing employees across all departments with the tools – and most importantly – the knowledge to identify and combat cyber risks, you’re drastically improving your cybersecurity posture and making your employees your strongest line of defense against the constant wave of cybercrime targeting your organization.

This training also assists in being able to identify and deal with insider threats like employees intentionally or unintentionally compromising an organization’s security. Failing to proactively identify insider threats can result in a breach that could lead to severe financial damage, tarnishing your company’s reputation, and lead to costly legal fees which is why detecting and mitigating these threats early should be a priority for any organization.

With the average cost of a data breach now at $4.45 million globally, as reported by IBM’s 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report, even a single incident can result in significant financial and reputational harm, further underscoring the importance of comprehensive employee training.

Armed with the proper knowledge and guidance, employees who understand the potential impact of cybersecurity threats are much less likely to make mistakes, leading to better decision-making and stronger overall cybersecurity posture.

3. Instilling a Culture of Cyber Awareness

Phishing simulations aren’t about catching your employees off guard, but rather to help foster a workforce culture that is better prepared to spot potential cyberthreats. Building a security-conscious culture within your organization requires more than just providing security awareness training; it involves empowering employees to act decisively during incidents and ensuring these practices are championed by the leadership team. Effective cybersecurity culture is socialized through consistent engagement, hands-on practice, and clear communication, not just a mind-numbing PowerPoint presentation. Leadership should set the tone, promoting security-minded behaviors that are both encouraged and reinforced at all levels of the organization. It’s also essential to avoid singling out employees who fall for simulated phishing attempts to prevent embarrassment and maintain a positive, constructive environment.

Training should equip employees to know who to notify, how to isolate compromised systems, and what steps to take during a crisis. When employees clearly understand their role in protecting the organization, they respond more effectively under pressure, potentially reducing financial losses. With proper support, engagement, and practice, a workforce can develop the skills and confidence necessary to help secure the organization actively.

With remote and hybrid work models now standard for many organizations, the associated security challenges make it essential to keep employees vigilant against new risks. The rise in remote work has increased the frequency of phishing attacks, as hackers exploit less secure home networks and potential lapses in employee vigilance.

Emerging threats, like AI-driven phishing and deepfakes, further illustrate the need for continuous and adaptive training. These technologies create more convincing social engineering attacks, making it even more critical for employees to stay current on identifying sophisticated cyber threats.

4. Learn to Comply or Else…

Almost every major cybersecurity framework specifically requires organizations to provide end-user cybersecurity training. End-user cybersecurity training required by the vast majority of cyber insurance underwriters and is critical for maintaining compliance with strict regulations like NIST 800-171, CMMC, GDPR, SEC Cybersecurity Rule, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS. Failing to meet these requirements can lead to fines, breach of contracts, lawsuits, and serious reputational damage. Compliance isn’t just about preventing breaches—it’s about ensuring your team is equipped with the knowledge to meet regulatory requirements. By tracking training progress, you can monitor how well your team is adopting your security philosophy, ensuring both compliance and a strong defense against evolving threats.

The Bottom Line

Fostering a cybersecure workplace culture and conducting routine employee security training is not just a regulatory checkbox—it’s a crucial strategy to safeguard your organization against costly cyber threats. By implementing proactive practices like simulated phishing, regular cybersecurity awareness training, and by socializing your cybersecurity program, you transform employees into your strongest line of defense. As cyber threats continue to evolve, so must your team’s readiness and vigilance.

Research shows that organizations with robust employee training programs reduce the likelihood of breaches by up to 70%, illustrating the tangible ROI of investing in cybersecurity awareness.

With proper support, engagement, and practice, a workforce can develop the skills and confidence necessary to help secure the organization actively.

At TSI, we’re committed to equipping your team with the skills and knowledge to navigate today’s complex cybersecurity landscape and build a resilient, cybersecure and compliant organization. Don’t wait for an incident to happen and contact us today to help fortify your defenses!

About Technical Support International

TSI is 35-year old cybersecurity (MSSP) and IT support (MSP) company specializing in helping DIB organizations address their NIST 800-171 and CMMC compliance obligations. As a CMMC-AB Registered Provider Organization (RPO), TSI offers a complete NIST 800-171 and CMMC support solution to help guide our clients toward a successful certification audit and provide the assurance that they’re adhering to these expansive compliance requirements.