When it comes to protecting your business from cyber threats, most people think of firewalls, antivirus software, and strong passwords. But there’s another, often-overlooked component that plays a huge role in keeping your company secure: your employees.
Human error is one of the leading causes of data breaches, phishing scams, and unauthorised access. That’s why employee training is not just a nice-to-have. It is essential. In fact, if your business is working towards Cyber Essentials compliance, building a strong culture of cyber awareness is a fundamental step.
The Role of Staff in Cyber Security
Cyber Essentials compliance is a government-backed certification that helps businesses protect themselves from the most common types of cyber attack. It sets out five key technical controls to safeguard your IT systems, but the success of those controls often depends on the actions of your team.
While your IT department or service provider might be responsible for setting up security protocols, your staff are the ones interacting with those systems every day. A well-trained team knows how to recognise risks such as suspicious emails, unsafe downloads, and weak passwords. Without that understanding, even the most robust cyber defences can be rendered ineffective by a single click.
Training your team ensures they don’t just follow rules. They understand why those rules exist and how to apply them in real-world scenarios.
Supporting the Five Key Controls
To meet the requirements for Cyber Essentials compliance, your business must implement the following five technical controls:
- Firewalls – to create a barrier between your network and the internet
- Secure configuration – to reduce vulnerabilities by ensuring systems are set up correctly
- User access control – to limit access to data and services only to those who need it
- Malware protection – to prevent viruses and harmful software from compromising systems
- Security update management – to keep all software up to date with the latest patches
These may sound technical, but each one relies on employee behaviour to be effective. For example, user access controls are only useful if staff avoid sharing passwords or leaving devices unlocked. Malware protection can only do so much if employees download unauthorised files or fail to report suspicious activity.
Ongoing staff training gives your team the confidence to make smart, secure decisions, supporting these controls in practice as well as on paper.
What Training Can Prevent
Training isn’t just about ticking boxes. It actively reduces the risk of human error, which is responsible for a large proportion of cyber incidents.
Here are just a few examples of what the right training can prevent:
- Falling for phishing emails, by teaching staff to spot red flags like suspicious senders, odd language, or fake links
- Reusing weak passwords or writing them down in insecure locations
- Leaving devices unattended or unlocked in public or shared spaces
- Accessing business systems using unsecured public WiFi
- Failing to report unusual activity, which can delay your response to a potential breach
Each of these behaviours increases your business’s risk and can also jeopardise your Cyber Essentials compliance. By training your employees to understand and avoid these pitfalls, you build a much stronger security foundation.
Embedding Training into Business Culture
Cyber security training works best when it becomes a regular part of business life. As threats evolve, so should your team’s knowledge. One-time sessions are rarely enough.
Here are some tips for embedding cyber awareness into your organisation:
- Include cyber training as part of your new starter onboarding
- Schedule refresher training once or twice a year
- Run simulated phishing tests to raise awareness and encourage vigilance
- Share short guides, videos, or tips regularly to keep cyber security top of mind
- Make it easy for staff to ask questions or report concerns without judgement
This approach does more than reduce risk. It also shows external assessors, customers, and partners that your business takes data protection seriously.
Cyber Essentials Plus and the Role of Staff
If your organisation is working towards Cyber Essentials Plus, employee training is even more important. Unlike the basic level, Plus includes hands-on technical assessments, such as phishing simulations or checks on how devices are configured.
A poorly trained workforce can easily fall short of the requirements. But when staff are confident and informed, your business is far more likely to pass with no issues.
Final Thoughts
Technology alone cannot protect your business from cyber threats. The actions and awareness of your employees are just as critical. Training should be seen as a long-term investment in your business’s security and reputation.
By making employee education a key part of your Cyber Essentials compliance strategy, you are building a workplace where security is everyone’s responsibility.
If you would like help preparing for certification or introducing cyber training across your organisation, The Unite Group is here to support you.