CompTIA the information technology (IT) industry association and a global leader in certification and education on a range of technology skills, today introduced a new training course aimed at building cybersecurity awareness and knowledge throughout organizations.
CompTIA CyberSecure is a self-paced, online course designed to educate everyone in the workplace – from the front desk receptionist to the company owner or chief executive – on the cybersecurity best practices that are vital to protecting the business.
"Employees are the first line of defense in an organization's cybersecurity perimeter, but we can't expect them to act securely if we don't provide them with the proper training," said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO, CompTIA.
Research from CompTIA and other sources consistently shows that employees – more so than policies, products or technologies – are the biggest factor in workplace security breaches. This risk is only heightened as the workforce becomes more mobile and more connected devices come into the workplace.
"Cybersecurity readiness is no longer the exclusive domain of the IT professional, and it's no longer confined to the time you're in the office," said Kelly Ricker, senior vice president, events and education, CompTIA.
"Business is conducted at any time, from anywhere, over PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones and smartwatches," Ricker continued. "The CyberSecure training regimen educates workers on the actions they should take to assure they are communicating and connecting securely in any setting."
Learning modules for CompTIA CyberSecure were developed and approved with the expertise and guidance of the help of the CompTIA IT Security Community, a group of industry leaders in IT security.
"Through a combination of video, animation and interactive scenarios CompTIA CyberSecure helps learners evaluate and reflect on their own behaviors in real life situations," Ricker explained.
The course covers six primary learning objectives:
Protecting yourself and your company from information leaks.
Basic categories of information security threats.
Cultivating a safe information mindset.
Cultivating a safe environment.
Implementing safety strategies online.
Protecting data and networks.
Each category delivers results-driven behavior modification training on information security in a way that's engaging for the employee and efficient for the employer.
"In just one hour users learn the common-sense actions they can take to reduce the risk of becoming a cyber-victim," Ricker said.
CompTIA has more than two decades of experience in building and promoting cybersecurity readiness, including certifications for IT professionals; best practices and credentials for organizations; and, with CompTIA CyberSecure, innovative awareness training for anyone who touches a PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet.
