Workforce Readiness | Page 9

MediaPro recommends sending phishing emails that emulate some of the best strategies used by phishers. It is not unusual to see between 60% and 70% of employees taken in by such emails particularly at the onset of training. In addition to the emails that simulate phishing, Conrad also encourages healthcare organizations to take the following steps to protect themselves: • Conduct ongoing mock phishing drills of your workforce in a way that emulates what actual phishers do. • Provide regular data protection best-practice training that focuses on physical security, password protection, and other key aspects of data protection. • Share the real-life tactics of phishers, which will involve regular and ongoing training. “Bad guys are doing very sophisticated things including the use of artificial intelligence. It’s important to share these tactics with employees so they recognize these phishing attempts when they encounter them. These criminals use constantly evolving tactics. It is not a static game for them and your training should reflect this fact,” says Conrad. In addition to monthly mock phishing, MediaPro’s system can help organizations to identify those employees who create higher levels of risk as well as those who engage in potentially compromising behaviors, such as clicking on an inappropriate link or downloading harmful files. Training can then be customized to address specific areas of vulnerability. When describing the goal of training employees to recognize phishing attempts, Conrad says, “It’s all about enabling people to make better decisions. If we’re not doing that then we’re putting them in a situation where they really can’t do their jobs as well as they should.” Conclusion Source: MediaPro Infographic: 3 PII Phishing Tactics to Look Out For. https://www.mediapro.com/blog/infographic-3- pii-phishing-tactics-look-out-for/ The threat to the security of information is an evolving one, and the key to real vigilance incorporates both technology and training. Conrad’s advice is to make sure that your organization helps employees to understand their vital role in the protection of this information. ABOUT STEVEN CONRAD Steven Conrad is the Managing Director of MediaPro and has experience in improving organizational performance through effective learning solutions. He has also worked at the strategic level with many organizations to determine how technology can be leveraged to improve performance and lower cost. Mr. Conrad has been involved in the production of hundreds of high-quality and innovative learning and awareness initiatives for a variety of industries. MediaPro has won over 100 national and international awards for learning and communication excellence. References: Richards, LaSalle, and van den Dool (2017). “2017 Cost of Cyber Crime Study,” Accenture Security, https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-cost-of-cybercrime-2017 Schwartz, J. (2017). “Infographic: 2017 Privacy and Security Awareness in Healthcare,” MediaPro, https://www.mediapro.com/blog/infographic-2017-privacy-security-awareness-healthcare/ Sullivan, T. (2016). “More than half of hospitals hit with ransomware in last 12 months,” Healthcare IT News, http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/more-half-hospitals-hit-ransomware-last-12-months 9 HealthStream.com/contact • 800.521.0574 • A-40049-0519