Your self-storage facility is under attack.
Maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but eventually, it will happen.
At the start of the pandemic era, the frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks against small businesses surged a massive 600%. In 2020, as many as 65% of small-to-medium sized businesses fell victim to a phishing attack. Total cybercrime damages were expected to total $6 trillion in 2021.
The good news is that with proper security awareness training, your self-storage facility can thwart many cyberattacks that come your way.
Why You Need to Train Self-Storage Employees to Spot Cybersecurity Threats
It is incumbent upon self-storage operators to provide security awareness training to their employees. According to cyber security firm KnowBe4, “spearphishing” attacks accounted for 91% of successful data breaches.
Spearphishing attacks are a highly targeted version of the classic phishing attacks you may be more familiar with. Spearphishing typically comes in the form of an email or text message appearing to be from a trusted source, and often addresses the target by name (ie: your self-storage manager whose name is publicly listed on your website).
The fraudulent email aims to trick the recipient into clicking on a link that takes them to a spoof site designed to mimic a trusted website. For example, instead of going to Storable.com, a spearphishing attempt might try to send a user to Storrablle.com or Storable.cy
From there, the attacker will usually try to get the target to give up important log-in credentials or to download some malicious code. The endgame could be to steal customer data, install ransomware or gain access to your network for some other nefarious purpose.
Training your employees (and yourself!) to spot and report these phishing attempts is one of your best lines of defense when it comes to protecting your business. Failing to do so could lead to many lost hours mitigating the damage of an attack, not to mention the financial repercussions that a data leak or ransomware attack could inflict.
Security Awareness Training for Self Storage Employees
The best way to teach your self-storage employees to spot cyberattacks is to implement a structured training regimen. You should conduct this training at least twice a year.
Security awareness training typically consists of web-based interactive modules that are about 15 minutes long. During training, the employee will review a presentation on the specific topic and usually have the chance to go through some scenarios to see if they can correctly tell the difference between suspicious emails and legitimate ones. You can review the results for your company to identify areas you need to improve upon with additional training.
Simulated Attacks
Before you get started, you can test your employees with a phishing simulation to gauge their current ability to spot malicious emails. KnowBe4 offers a free simulation for up to 100 employees so you can see where your staff stands before starting training. They also offer a social media phishing simulation as well.
Remember not to penalize employees who fail such a test, this is meant to be a learning experience. Better to have your employee fall for a simulated phishing attack and know what to look for in the future than to fall for a real one.
Training Modules
Once you’ve broken the ice with some simulated attacks, you’ll want to follow up with some security awareness training modules. Setting a deadline for employees to complete the training within a certain amount of time is a good standard practice. Requiring new employees to complete security awareness training as part of their overall onboarding is also a great idea.
There are two training options Storable recommends for self-storage operators. Both offer web-based training modules that do a good job preparing your workforce to deal with cybersecurity threats:
- Curricula: This is ideal for single-facility and smaller regional operators as it’s basic offering is free for up to 1000 employees. Additional training modules can be accessed at $1.50 per month per employee.
- KnowBe4: This option is best suited to enterprise scale self-storage operations. With a large library of modules, games, awareness posters and tests, KnowBe4 is one of the most comprehensive cybersecurity training solutions out there. Prices start at $18 per employee per month for companies with less than 50 employees, and drops down to $9 per employee for firms with up to 5,000 employees for its entry level offering. The company also offers additional tools and plug-ins for email to help employees flag and report threats.
The threat landscape is always changing, and cybercriminals are always developing new tactics. That is why it is so important to continue to require training every few months. Ongoing training will help your employees remain vigilant against incoming attacks.
Using a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan to Protect Your Storage Business
