Security Awareness
Inoculate your workforce against security breaches
The Challenge
Reduce user error to protect infrastructural integrity.
Users are the first line of defense against both external and internal threats, and in many organizations, employee negligence is the leading cause of cybersecurity incidents.
Around 91% of cyber attacks begin with spear phishing, and cultivating higher security awareness can be one of the most impactful means by which to protect data assets and data infrastructure and improve organizational security. Effective security awareness involves educating employees on company policies and best practices and helping security professionals navigate breaches, phishing schemes, and other cyberthreats.
As more organizations shift to a cloud-based infrastructure and digital storage, the threat of internal and external data breaches grows. Comprehensive security awareness programs are quickly becoming high-priority initiatives for organizations across industries.
SEI consultants understand that securing an organization’s information infrastructure requires cross-team collaboration and company-wide buy-in. We help clients enact impactful organizational change that’s sure to enhance both short- and long-term security postures. Our program areas include improving password management, implementing multi-factor authentication, and educating employees about common forms of attacks including ransomware, malware, phishing, social engineering, and more. By investing in robust security awareness programs, organizations can fortify their mission-critical networks, protect themselves against compliance violations, and prevent costly data breaches.
CASE STUDY
Automotive Parts Distributor
Leveraging a third-party vendor for content creation, SEI helped a Fortune 250 company develop and manage content that highlights current security trends and risks. The output included posters, employee assessments, and security awareness communications. We also developed content to boost ongoing security initiatives and continually engage employees throughout the year.
Our Approach
Create a culture of security awareness.
At SEI, we know that employee training is the cornerstone of a stronger cybersecurity posture — but training alone is not enough. SEI ensures that employees understand the “what,” “who,” and “why” of cybersecurity awareness and translate an in-depth understanding of critical security protocols into initiatives that align with information security best practices.
Our consultants work collaboratively with clients to develop customized security awareness plans. We recognize the importance of incorporating industry-specific risk management and clients’ unique business objectives into our strategies. That’s why we begin every engagement by conducting an organization-wide audit of current security awareness levels. We establish a clear baseline to quickly and systematically identify areas for improvement.
Once this assessment is complete, we help companies design a comprehensive roadmap that details long- and short-term goals and outlines clear timeframes and actionable steps. Our consultants offer end-to-end on-site support, which includes vendor and software evaluation and selection, policy design, employee training, and follow-up sessions to ensure continuous, quantifiable improvement. We apply data-driven approaches to increase security awareness across the organization in order to protect data assets and recuperate value.
Finally, our experience tells us that the most effective initiatives are those that gain buy-in from employees across all levels of the organization. Harnessing decades’ worth of experience in change management, we help integrate security awareness into the cultural fabric of every client’s organization, ensuring an understanding not only of what to do, but why specific security measures matter.
CASE STUDY
Fortune 500 Company
SEI was responsible for standing up the phishing security awareness program at a Fortune 500 organization. Our consultants worked with client teams to evaluate vendors based on company needs and select and implement the security solution. Post-implementation, we established baseline employee click rates, benchmarked against industry standards, and helped create standards for dealing with repeat offenders.
The Results
Add immediate and long-term value through enhanced information security.
The ROI of robust security awareness programs is undeniable. Security breaches cost organizations millions of dollars each year, and severe data breaches can even threaten the survival of an organization. Improvements to organizational security begin with responsible, well-trained employees, who often act as stewards of sensitive information.
SEI’s comprehensive security awareness programs ensure that employees develop confidence in navigating costly cybersecurity threats such as phishing and whaling. SEI integrates security awareness efforts into broad-based information security programs, helping clients implement better password management practices and multi-factor authentication, apply smart URL filtering and blocking, standardize protocol, improve vulnerability management, conduct network segmentation, manage data access, and more. Collectively, these efforts fortify clients’ networks and protect the many types of data they manage.
SEI’s security awareness programs are designed to evolve and endure and can be adapted for use across a range of technology infrastructures, industries, and business models. With top down buy-in from executives and employees, organizations can minimize security risks and enhance ongoing protection of their data assets with a robust cybersecurity awareness program.
CASE STUDY
Global Consulting Firm
SEI was engaged to execute two programs. We evaluated technical solutions and implemented a tool that would integrate with an O365 platform and deploy to over 30,000 users. We helped establish a global baseline, developed awareness and training programs, and implemented simulated but targeted phishing campaigns with automated reporting.