Just 1 in 5 confident their organisations 'extremely prepared' to handle cybersecurity threat
Employers across Singapore are urged to provide their staff with basic cybersecurity knowledge as a new survey indicated that training on the matter may have been neglected over the years.
A new survey by NTUC LearningHub found that 30% of 200 business leaders have not enrolled their employees in any cybersecurity training programmes in the past two years.
This is despite nearly all of them (98%) agreeing that all employees must have basic cybersecurity knowledge.
As a result, only 20% of the respondents said their workforce is clear on the steps to take in the event of a cyberattack. Only 20% are also confident that their organisations are "extremely prepared" to handle a cybersecurity threat.
The findings come as executives across the world express major concerns about employees being their organisation's biggest cybersecurity risk, with 71% expecting their next cybersecurity breach to be because of an internal staff error.
Anthony Chew, NTUC LearningHub's Chief Core Skills Officer, said it is crucial for employers go beyond securing their physical infrastructure in fighting cyberattacks.
"Equipping all employees with basic cybersecurity knowledge is essential in this fight, as it is imperative to emphasise the importance of cyber awareness and to remain vigilant in safeguarding their organisations," Chew said in a statement.
Barriers to cybersecurity
According to the survey, employers are struggling to be ensure cybersecurity at work because of the following challenges:
- Lack of specialised skilled talent within the organisation (52%)
- Lack of resources to train the workforce (52%)
- Lack of basic cybersecurity knowledge among employees (49%)
These challenges come as 97% of the business leaders agreed that it is important for their organisation to improve their cybersecurity in the digital age.
Chew said investing in relevant training is important to ensure that in-house talent is equipped with specialised cybersecurity skills to tackle threats and attacks.
"By taking these measures, employees can then work strategically and collaboratively to reduce cyber risks and prevent exploitation," Chew said.
