What does the phrase “back to school” mean to you? For many people, it means a mad dash to prepare their kids for another year of K-12 to secondary school. For others, it means settling into a dorm and signing up for college classes. But maybe your company’s employees could use some brush-up education as well, especially as IT new security pitfalls seem to pop up every day. Let’s take a look at some key considerations in getting your workforce up to speed on this critical subject.

First of all, you must accept the responsibility for your employees’ IT security education. If a worker’s error results in a major data breach, you’ll kick yourself for not having distributed the proper information, warnings, and policies in advance. Start by creating a detailed set of data security dos and don’ts and making sure everyone receives this material, signs off on it, and understands how to follow the rules.

Many employees have little to no awareness of just how easily hackers, phishing attempts, and other hazards take advantage of their good will. Train your workforce on common reasons for data breaches, how to recognize scams, and proper password creation and implementation. Keep in mind, however, that these threats are constantly changing and evolving. This means you’ll probably need to conduct incremental re-training or news updates even as you’re educating new employees from scratch.

To keep your employees sharp and aware, consider administering the occasional data security “fire drill.” Present them with the occasional test scenario so they can practice the smart responses you’ve trained into them.

The Austin business tech support experts at Gravity Systems can help you create an effective data security education plan while also keeping your system optimally protected through firewalls, software updates, and other safeguards. Contact us to learn more!