It’s easy to make some technology assumptions about people at different, shall we say, “experience levels.”
It’s probably true that some of your more seasoned team members don’t have the smoothest relationship with technology. Truth be told, they’d rather avoid using computers altogether wherever possible.
Others grew up online. They didn’t know a world before Google and hardly remember life before social media or smartphones.
But here’s the thing: assuming younger employees are better with technology can lead you down a bad path.
Yes, they may be more adept at smartphones and socials. They may more easily interact with AI, or be less cautious about using it. They may even be able to help those veteran team members solve common tech issues without much effort.
But being fluent in social media or even vibe coding doesn’t automatically make someone a cybersecurity expert.
Tech Experience and Cybersecurity Awareness Are Different Things
A team member with strong everyday tech skills may or may not understand cybersecurity. The two are different disciplines, and it’s very possible to be knowledgeable in one and ignorant in the other.
By “cybersecurity” we mean things like spotting phishing emails, recognizing online scams like impostor websites or fake login pages, and following smart protocols for passwords and authentication.
Your social media maven might reuse her dog’s name as a password across a dozen sites — and your business’s social accounts.
Your vibe coding wizard may assume that official-looking email came from one of his agents, not a foreign agent.
And yes, your long-time employee who doesn’t really enjoy email might get phished.
Everyone on Your Team Needs Cybersecurity Awareness Training
So here’s the solution: train everybody, every time.
Don’t expect digital natives to pick up every detail of cybersecurity awareness and digital best practices on their own.
If your business forces “less technical” employees to do cybersecurity training and lets “more technical” employees skip it, you’re taking on unnecessary risk. You could garner complaints about age discrimination, but more relevant for us: you could leave yourself open to attacks that the right training would have prevented.
Every employee on your team has some gaps in their tech knowledge. They won’t all be the same gaps, and some have more or fewer gaps than others. But everyone has them, so everyone needs training.
Cybercriminals Don’t Discriminate on Age
Cybercriminals want to break into vulnerable systems. They don’t care much how they get in; they just go for any possible route and take the easiest option that comes along.
Usually, that easiest option is someone, somewhere in your business trusting something they shouldn’t.
- A less technical employee might trust a phishing scam others would spot a mile away.
- A busy manager might sign a document or approve a sign-in request without looking closely.
- An inexperienced employee with great tech skills could let the motivation of pleasing the boss or CEO lead them to complying with an urgent-sounding but fraudulent request.
These three employees have different knowledge and experience levels, as well as knowledge gaps. Each one exposes your business to new threats.
Cybersecurity Training Is For Everyone
The bottom line: cybersecurity training is for everyone. It also needs to reflect the real world. It should include what today’s threats look like, and it needs to encompass all devices people use for work (including smartphones).
Good training helps your team understand what threats may look like. It also teaches your team that asking questions is good.
If it’s been a few years since you’ve done any cybersecurity training, it’s time to consider another round. Today’s threats are cleaner and more polished than ever before, and the risks to your business are as significant as ever.
Need an assist on crafting cybersecurity awareness training that works? Call or schedule an appointment today.