61% Of Employees Fail A Basic Cyber Security Test

Currently damages relating to cyber-crime are expected to reach $6 trillion in 2021  and now 90% of organisations are facing an increase in cyber attacks due to the pandemic.  With cyber attacks increasing dramatically after the pandemic, TalentLMS and Kenna Security teamed up to gauge employees’ awareness of cyber security risks.

Their analysis shows that the current methods of training are insufficient and not working well. Almost 70% of employees polled in a new survey have had cyber security training, but over sixty percent failed a basic cyber test.

This was one of the leading findings of the  TalentLMS / Kenna Security survey, that sought to understand the cyber security habits of some 1,200 workers, as well as their knowledge of best practices and ability to recognise security threats.

• Only 17% of those surveyed who work in information services passed the quiz, compared to 57% of health care employees. And yet, 93% of respondents working in information services reported receiving cybersecurity training, compared to 67% of healthcare respondents. 

• 60% of employees who failed the cyber security quiz reported that they feel safe from threats. Incredibly, 74% of respondents who answered every single question incorrectly report feeling safe. 

• Despite their largely inherent familiarity with technology, employees aged 18-24 collectively performed the worst on the quiz, with only 16% passing. Among age demographic groups, 25-to-34-year-olds tied with those aged 54 and over for the best collective performance, with a pass rate of 43%.

These results certainly serve to emphasise the importance of organisations using effective and proven training solutions and organisations should hold repetitive simulated phishing assessments and additional training throughout the year. 

Commenting on the survey results Hank Schless, at mobile security solutions firm  Lookout said, “Be sure to constantly run security training and include mobile in those sessions... Consider any text, email, WhatsApp message, or communication that creates a time-sensitive situation a red flag. Users should approach any suspicious messages with extreme caution, or go straight to their IT and security teams to have them examine it first.”

James McQuiggan, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, said organisations should hold repetitive simulated phishing assessments and additional training throughout the year, in addition to computer-based training. “Make the training engaging [and] interactive and provide users with an emphasis on protecting their passwords, watching out for phishing links and what it takes to protect the organisation as much as the IT and infosec departments,” 

When asked what would make cyber security training more engaging, 52% of employees said they would like it to be presented in a simpler and less technical way, while 50% would like it to be more fun and gamified. Even though the training had a positive impact on some aspects of employees’ cybersecurity habits, such as protecting their computers and correct password management, they were not consistent across all areas.

It is vital that to be really effective, cyber security training programmes address all the potential vulnerabilities that could threaten the organisation.

TalentLMS:     SCMagazine:      Help Net Security:       Security Brief:     DevOpsOnline:    Image:Unsplash

 For a cost effective Report on your organisation’s cyber security and training requirements, please contact Cyber Security Intelligence and we will recommend the right economic cyber training and cyber audit for your organisation. 

You Might Also Read: 

Cyber Security Insights For Executives: