When it comes to cybersecurity, technology is only part of the equation.

Your people—from leadership to front-line employees—are one of your most significant defenses. But they can also be your biggest vulnerability. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), empowering your team through training and awareness is one of the most effective ways to reduce risks and build a more resilient organization.

In this article, we’ll break down how investing in your team’s cybersecurity training can protect your business from human error and evolving threats.

1. Cybersecurity Is Everyone’s Responsibility

It’s a common misconception that cybersecurity is solely the responsibility of IT. In reality, every employee in your organization plays a part in keeping your business safe. Whether it’s clicking on a suspicious link, falling for a phishing email, or using weak passwords, even small mistakes can open the door to costly breaches.

Your employees need to be empowered to take cybersecurity seriously. From the CEO to the newest hire, building a cybersecurity-first mindset is critical to preventing the majority of cyber incidents.

Consider this…

Just last week, we received a call from a company already working with an MSP to manage their infrastructure. Their outbound email from Microsoft 365 had been blocked, which led them to contact us for a deeper audit. What we uncovered was alarming: the CEO’s account had been compromised through token theft.

What is token theft?
In simple terms, token theft occurs when a malicious actor steals the authentication token that a user’s system uses to verify their identity with cloud services like Microsoft 365. Once they have this token, they can access the account without needing the user’s password or two-factor authentication.

In this case, the attacker accessed the CEO’s account, which was bad enough. But what made the situation worse? The CEO was also a Global Administrator in Microsoft 365. The failure to adopt least privilege access and maintain separation of duties allowed the attacker to exploit this elevated access level.

Once the malicious actor realized the account’s administrative power, they created a new connector in Exchange Online that allowed them to send email through their own malicious server. The result? Over 10,000 phishing emails were sent from the company’s Microsoft 365 tenant.

The Consequences
This massive volume of malicious emails triggered Microsoft’s security protocols, blocking all outbound mail from the tenant. The company suffered a serious reputational hit due to the phishing emails, and it left us asking three critical questions:

• Why weren’t there stronger measures to prevent token theft?
• Why wasn’t a system in place to alert the company about abnormal access to administrative features?
• Why was the CEO’s account a Global Administrator to begin with?

While basic cybersecurity training might not have fully prevented this breach, a comprehensive cybersecurity program—with regular audits, strict access control policies, and continuous monitoring—could have mitigated these risks.

Are you really ready to risk not being prepared?

2. Training Your Team to Recognize Threats

Without proper training, your employees are easy targets for cybercriminals. That’s why ongoing cybersecurity training is crucial for any business, especially SMBs. Training should be more than just a one-time event; it needs to be a continuous process that evolves as new threats emerge.

Here’s how you can build an effective training program:

• • Simulated Phishing Attacks: Regularly test your employees with simulated phishing attacks to see how they react and teach them how to recognize and avoid phishing schemes.
  • Incident Response Drills: Prepare your team for the worst-case scenario by running incident response simulations. This ensures everyone knows how to respond quickly and confidently in the event of a breach.
  • Custom Training: Tailor training sessions to the specific needs of different departments. For example, your sales team might need training on spotting phishing emails, while your IT team should focus on more technical aspects of cybersecurity.

Can you afford to lose sleep over something you could easily prevent?

3. Ongoing Education: Staying Ahead of Evolving Threats

Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics, which means your team’s knowledge must evolve too. Regular training refreshers keep cybersecurity top of mind for your employees and help them stay sharp in identifying potential threats.

By investing in ongoing training, you’re not only reducing the likelihood of a breach but also empowering your team to take ownership of security within their roles. Your goal should be to make cybersecurity second nature to everyone in your business.

4. Creating a Culture of Cyber Vigilance

Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology—it’s about creating a culture of vigilance. This means integrating cybersecurity into your daily operations, ensuring your employees are always on the lookout for potential risks. How can you build this culture?

• Establish Clear Policies: Implement strong security policies, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and secure password practices, and ensure every employee follows them.
• Reinforce Awareness: Through newsletters, alerts, and reminders, keep employees updated on the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices. Constant communication ensures that cybersecurity is always at the top of everyone’s mind.
• Reward Vigilance: Recognize and reward employees who report suspicious activity or follow security protocols closely. Positive reinforcement can go a long way in motivating your team to take cybersecurity seriously.

5. Addressing Insider Threats

While most cybersecurity efforts focus on external threats, insider threats—whether intentional or accidental—can be just as damaging. Employees may unintentionally expose your business to risk through negligence, such as misplacing data or falling for phishing schemes. Insider threats are sometimes malicious, such as disgruntled employees compromising sensitive information.

To mitigate these risks:

• Use user behaviour analytics and anomaly detection to spot unusual activity that may indicate a potential insider threat.
• Encourage an environment where employees feel comfortable reporting concerns or errors. An open, supportive culture helps prevent issues from escalating into serious breaches.

Empowering Your Team to Be Your First Line of Defense

All the tech in the world won’t help if your team isn’t prepared. Believe it or not, 95% of cyberattacks are caused by human error. That’s right—one mistake can lead to disaster. But getting your employees up to speed doesn’t have to be hard or expensive.

Phishing Awareness: Training your team to spot fake emails or suspicious links is one of the best ways to protect your business. Simulated phishing tests are a low-cost way to keep them sharp, and it can stop a cyberattack before it starts. We do that for you. 

Password Management: Helping your team understand the value of strong passwords doesn’t cost much, but it reduces the risk of a breach. Investing in a password manager gives your business an extra layer of security for a small price. Psst. We like 1Password.

Encouraging Reporting: Creating a culture where your employees feel safe reporting suspicious activity could save you a fortune. If they catch something early, you can stop the damage before it gets serious.

Your business’s cybersecurity is only as strong as your team. You can significantly reduce the likelihood of a breach by providing ongoing, tailored training and fostering a culture of vigilance. Empower your employees to become your first line of defense, and you’ll create a cyber-resilient organization.

If you’re unsure whether your team is fully prepared for today’s cybersecurity challenges, we’re here to help. Contact us to learn more about our cybersecurity training programs and ensure your team has the knowledge and tools to keep your business safe. It’s also an available add-on for our Workplace Suite managed IT services.

And, for heaven’s sake, limit the use of Global Admin in Microsoft 365. You don’t need this role to do your day job!

FREE Cyber Risk Assessment

Take advantage of our free cyber risk assessment this Cybersecurity Awareness Month. We’ll point out any vulnerabilities in your security and give you tips on how to protect your business. Schedule your assessment today and get ahead of the game before it’s too late.