The Importance of Cybersecurity Training for HR Professionals

Rising threats and costs for everyone

With rapid digitalization and remote business models, technology has become a double-edged sword. From malware and phishing attacks to data breaches and the absence of backups – there are many complex cyber security threats always present. The cost of being caught off-guard can be extremely high for organizations. Besides revenue loss, the loss of employee trust and confidence, remedial costs and the costs of disruption of operations, a potential breach of confidential information can also negatively impact your organization’s external marketplace reputation.

IBM’s Cost of Data Breach report states that, “the global average cost of a data breach that affects over a million records is US$3.86 million, the report revealed. In terms of individual countries and regions, the US has the highest average cost for data breaches, at US$8.64 million. The Middle East came in second, with an average cost of US$6.52 million. Canada is the third highest, with US$4.5 million.”

Modern Cybercrime & Criminals

There are two main types of cybercrime:

1. Technology-as-a-Target: stealing or denying access to data or disrupt online services or systems
2. Technology-as-an-Instrument: when technology is used to facilitate crimes such as fraud, money laundering and drug or human trafficking

And there are two main types of cybercriminals:

1. Highly educated professionals who build and sometimes sell tools
2. Consumers who buy tools and services to commit cybercrimes.

Unfortunately, cybercriminals have access to a wide variety of malicious tools and online services, often backed by 24/7 support and money back guarantees.

Profiting Through Cybercrime

Cybercriminals profit through the theft and sale of data such as personal information, credit info or health-related information. Perhaps not surprisingly, health information fetches the highest per-record rates on the cyber dark web. Cybercriminals can also profit through various forms of extortion or ransomware attacks.

The Value of Your Personal and Professional Information

Use your email, for example. Email can be the key to many valuable online activities and accounts such as banking, online shopping as well as online services such as social media. A hacked email account can provide access to employer information and documents, or online file storage (think Microsoft Onedrive, Google Drive, Dropbox etc.).

How to Protect Yourself, Your Company and Your Staff

Today, the responsibilities of HR leaders have evolved beyond people management systems to include organizational cyber risk management. HR now plays a critical role in actively championing for protecting vast amounts of sensitive organizational data, and ensuring that their entire workforce is educated about vulnerable blind spots and are safeguarded against cyber threats. In smaller organizations without a dedicated IT department, many HR leaders don the IT hat.

Lighthouse Labs’ Cybersecurity Training for HR puts human resources at the heart of cybersecurity and teaches HR professionals the advanced technical skills they need, to train their organization in cybersecurity fundamentals and ensure adherence to best practices and policies. Our customized program delivers the following interactive training in just one day:

• Server administration, network security, threat modelling and analysis and incident response;
• Knowledge of data compliance and regulation of access points to vital company information;
• Setting effective mitigations & security measures against cybersecurity crimes;
• Creating resiliency through crisis-planning and identifying future potential risks;
• And more!

Who Benefits From This New Cutting-Edge Program?

This personalized program provides industry-aligned curriculum (NICE framework) with top-notch trainers. This course has been built specifically for HR leaders by Lighthouse Labs, in partnership with leading HR associations across Canada; Created for HR professionals who recognize the importance of protecting organizational data in real-time, our course delivers immersive training to transform HR teams and ensure the timely implementation of relevant cyber-security practices.

Learn how to effectively implement the basics of cybersecurity policies in your organization, as part of your people management role in this age of rapid digitization.