The saying ‘knowledge is power’ applies to many situations in life, but it feels particularly apt when discussing security awareness. Cybercriminals, in particular, feed on a lack of knowledge because it often presents them with opportunities to take advantage of security gaps and vulnerabilities.
According to Verizon, 70% of data breaches in 2023 involved a human element and one in three breaches involved phishing. Of all the many forms of cyber attack, phishing scams benefit most from a lack of awareness – finding greatest success when business users fail to spot the presence of a threat actor.
For this reason we encourage Hicomply users to not only implement an ISMS but also spread the word within their business about why an Information Security Management System (ISMS) is important. With greater understanding comes greater adherence to the requirements of information security.
Additionally, a robust ISMS has also been shown to give organisations a competitive advantage and build trust with potential customers. An understanding of the value of an ISMS can help your teams to feature it in bids and tenders, sales calls and other reputational settings.
Let’s take a closer look at the many benefits of bringing your teams into the loop when it comes to implementing and managing your ISMS?
Preventing cyber attacks and data breaches
It might sound obvious, but it’s worth stating: widespread internal security awareness and adherence to best practice is essential to mitigating the risk of a data breach. The more informed and aligned teams are about the value and functionality of an ISMS, the more confident they will be when it comes to using it to its full potential.
Awareness training equips your team with the tools they need to process and secure data more securely, make IT systems more robust and therefore minimise the potential for fines in the event of a breach.
Reassuring customers and clients
According to Arcserve, 70% of today’s consumers believe businesses are slacking when it comes to cybersecurity, and almost two thirds of customers would avoid a business that had suffered a cyberattack in the last twelve months.
Having an efficient and comprehensive ISMS is widely understood to mitigate risk and demonstrate a commitment to protecting data. Having an ISMS is an important feature in achieving information security certifications such as ISO 27001 or SOC 2, which are widely respected international standards.
On the issue of tenders, an ISMS can also save valuable time and effort through the bid-writing process. Being able to simply list ISO 27001 certification can dramatically streamline this process and negate further questions relating to processes, procedures and documentation.
Compliance with a leading information security standard also makes a business more appealing to potential investors and funders, which can be incredibly important for organisations looking to raise finance or be acquired in the future.
Improving employee wellbeing
It’s an easy point to overlook but don’t forget that happy workers are productive workers. Many studies have reached this conclusion, including a study by Deloitte which found that happy employees work faster and hit 13% more targets. And cyberthreats can be a serious drain on happiness and wellbeing – particularly amongst CISOs, CTOs and heads of IT.
Falling victim to cybercrime is often described as a ‘violation’ – because it is. Nobody wants to feel responsible for opening the door to hackers, and effective cybersecurity awareness training provides key threat prevention tools that your employees can use both at work and at home.
Today’s employees can take pride in being part of a business that takes the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of customer, employee, and business data seriously. Through an organised and systematic approach to managing information security, teams across your business will gain peace of mind and greater confidence.
Build an ISMS to shout about with Hicomply
At Hicomply, we make compliance easy through ISMS software that simplifies the process, with automation tailored to your needs. With all key information stored in one place and ready for audit, there’s plenty to shout about to both your internal teams and external stakeholders.
Not currently using Hicomply? Ready to find out more about what the platform can do for you? Book a demo.
