Ways you can help “Phight the phish”

It’s that time of year again! October is Cybersecurity Awareness month, and Do Your Part, Be Cyber Smart” is the theme for 2021, emphasizing that individuals must own their role in protecting their section of cyberspace.

Each week in October also has a specific topic that falls within the theme. This week’s focus is on “Phight the Phish,” looking at ways to help combat phishing attacks by improving users’ security awareness.

With work and home life in constant flux, cybersecurity, understandably may not be top of mind for your users. Organizations can help users do their part by providing security awareness activities such as email threat simulation and training.

While we always recommend a consistent security awareness practice, not every organization has the resources to dedicate to creating and executing frequent training initiatives. Fortunately, even a little goes a long way. Based on our research earlier this year, we discovered that after just two security awareness training campaigns, the accuracy of user-reported emails increased by 74%. That means users were more likely to spot an actual or simulated email threat, at a much higher rate than prior to completing any training activities.

Free phishing education materials

This year, Barracuda has created a comprehensive phishing awareness bundle to help organizations participate in Cyber Security Awareness Month. Use the materials in this bundle to enable your users to identify email threats and build a culture of secure behavior within your organization.

Get the phishing awareness bundle.

Finally, if you’re not using a security awareness training solution, you should be! Your users are the first AND last line of defense against cybersecurity threats. Consider a solution like Barracuda PhishLine, which offers completely customizable simulation and education templates and pre-built campaigns for an efficient and effective security awareness program. Barracuda PhishLine was recently awarded “Best Practices in Customer Value” by independent analyst firm, Frost & Sullivan, for excellence in Customer experience and product performance.

To learn more about National Cyber Security Awareness Month, visit the NCSAM home page here. They have a calendar of events, tips on making the most of NCSAM, and ideas to improve your cybersecurity year-round.

Get the free phishing awareness bundle.