As part of your ISMS, employee training and internal auditing are key components that should not be overlooked. Your people are the first line of defence against security threats, so it’s important that they know how to identify and report potential risks. By providing comprehensive training for both new and existing employees, your company can ensure that potential risks are identified quickly and effectively. Let’s dive into why employee training should be a top priority for any internal auditing process.
Why training matters
The importance of training cannot be understated. It is essential for both new and existing staff to understand the threats posed by cybercriminals, as well as the policies and procedures necessary to protect your organisation from them.
Training helps ensure that your staff understands the processes and procedures necessary for compliance with industry regulations. This helps ensure that your organisation meets all legal requirements and minimises the risk of non-compliance fines or penalties.
Additionally, employee training helps ensure that everyone within your organisation knows what they can and cannot do when it comes to information security. This can help reduce the risk of human error or malicious activity within your network. Training provides employees with the tools they need to recognise potential risks, such as phishing emails or malicious software downloads, before they become a problem.
Creating an effective program
In order to ensure that your staff, both new and existing, are properly trained on organisational and technical security controls, you need to create a comprehensive training program that covers all aspects of information security management. You should also consider providing refresher courses for existing staff members on a regular basis so that they stay current with best practices for protecting data.
When creating a training program, it’s important to consider employees individual needs as well as your company goals. Start by assessing what areas need improvement – for example, you may want to focus on teaching employees how to identify suspicious emails or how to properly dispose of confidential documents, and then create a plan that addresses these specific issues.
Make sure that the program is up-to-date with current technologies and trends. In addition to technical topics such as encryption protocols and malware prevention, it’s important also to cover non-technical topics such as physical security measures or emergency response protocols. These areas can often be overlooked but are just as important when it comes to preventing data breaches or other malicious activities from occurring within your organisation.
The benefits of having up-to-date employee training
When employees are properly trained, they can help to protect your organisation from security threats by identifying and reporting potential risks quickly and accurately. This can save you time and money in the long run, as it will reduce the likelihood of costly security breaches. Additionally, comprehensive people training can also help to increase employee engagement, which can lead to improved job satisfaction and better performance all around.
Internal auditing
In addition to creating an effective training program for your staff, it’s also important to conduct periodic internal audits in order to identify any weaknesses in your information security systems. Auditing can help you detect any areas where employee knowledge is lacking so that you can address those issues quickly and effectively before they become a problem. Audits can also help you determine whether there are any gaps in your security policies or procedures that need addressing in order to prevent future breaches or attacks from outside sources.
In our role as internal auditors, we initially develop a clear understanding of your company’s security goals and objectives. This helps to identify which areas of the ISMS need to be reviewed.
Protect your company with employee training
When done correctly, employee training can be an invaluable tool. It helps protect your organisation from potential security threats by educating employees on how to identify risks quickly and accurately, while also increasing employee engagement levels throughout the organisation.
By creating a comprehensive training program that covers both technical and non-technical topics, and updating it regularly, you can ensure that your staff are always up to date with best practices for protecting data assets within your organisation.
At Inavate, we take a holistic approach to reviewing your ISMS which enables us to advise on remediation strategies that are aligned with your company culture. This allows us to develop an effective employee training program to ensure your company is protected.
