According to research conducted by Stanford University, nearly 90 percent of all data breaches occur due to human error. While that statistic may be staggering, it’s also good news for business owners, as it means that the overwhelming majority of breaches are preventable.
If you’re wondering how you can keep your networks and databases from being compromised, the answer is simple — eliminate human error — and KnowBe4 can help you do it if you are unsure where to start.
Why Are Data Breaches a Concern?
Data breaches are costly for several reasons:
- The cost of notifying customers of compromised information
- Fines and penalties due to regulatory compliance failures
- Lost revenue due to extensive business and network downtime
- Money spent paying scammers in ransomware attacks
- Damaged business reputation and loss of customer trust
Tech giant IBM calculates that the average data breach cost is $9.44 million, with small businesses spending $2.2 million. The same report estimates that 83 percent of businesses will experience a data breach.
As such, data breaches are common but not inconsequential; spending that much to clean up a preventable error can be budget-busting at least and ruinous at worst.
How Can You Prevent a Data Breach?
Dealing with data breaches is to stop them from happening in the first place. Helpful tips for preventing data breaches include the following:
- Completing an assessment to expose potential risks
- Creating a data backup and quick recovery plan
- Partnering with a managed IT services firm for continuous monitoring
- Requiring ongoing cybersecurity training for all staff members
As human error plays a significant role in data breaches, ensuring employees in every department are trained to spot, avoid, and report suspicious activity is one of the fundamental keys to building an effective cybersecurity strategy.
What Makes KnowBe4 the Best Training Solution?
You don’t have to constantly fear employee behavior triggering a data breach when you train them well. KnowBe4 is a third-party solution offered through AngelCom that provides the following essential benefits, many of which are hard to find with other products:
Largest Training Content Library
The KnowBe4 library contains over 1,300 pieces of cybersecurity awareness training content. Employees can access interactive modules, videos, and games, with new content added monthly for Diamond-level users that covers vital information on various cybersecurity topics, including compliance and phishing.
AI-Powered Employee Training
Using machine learning, KnowBe4 can adapt to your organization’s precise needs. Based on how your employees respond to phishing simulator tests, KnowBe4 will recommend training modules to help them gain the knowledge they need to recognize and avoid the real thing. The platform includes point-of-failure auto-enrollment, “hints and tips” emails, and optional gamification to encourage module completion through friendly competition.
Fully Customizable Solution
Customization options are abundant with KnowBe4, even beyond AI. Some training modules allow business owners to add branded content and their own SCORM-compliant modules. Language settings deliver content in more than 34 languages, and platform administrators can create training campaigns with completion dates that align with their strategic business goals and plans.
Convenient Learner App
Your employees may not have the time to dedicate to extended training meetings. KnowBe4’s learner apps allow them to access modules around the clock on their phone or tablet, making it easy to complete assigned training whenever their schedule allows.
A Track Record of Success
SPC Mechanical Corporation lost millions of dollars after an email-based ransomware shutdown and used KnowBe4 to build a culture of security that will help them prevent future attacks.
Additionally, Brazil-based marketing tech firm Minu achieved an 89 percent training module completion rate, and the University of Oklahoma reduced its phish-prone percentage to less than five percent.
KnowBe4 has so many more successful case studies of businesses that were able to train their staff better and reduce the likelihood of a data breach due to human error.
Keeping Your Business and Customers Safe
Data breaches have the potential to devastate SMBs, but in-depth training and real-time coaching can go a long way in ensuring your business doesn’t suffer the same fate. When you invest in the proper tools and resources, you can build a culture of security and compliance that teaches employees how attacks happen and encourages them to pay close attention to their actions.
Paired with a full suite of managed IT services, KnowBe4 adds another layer of protection for your business and customers, allowing you to create a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that works when you need it most.