Dive Brief:

• Aon announced Nov. 17 the launch of a cyber awareness training platform, a "comprehensive employee training program" that aims to help organizations train workers on cyber risks and cybersecurity best practices.
• The program contains 12 online, on-demand learning modules that take approximately 10 minutes each to complete, Aon said. Covered topics include developing strong passwords, avoiding phishing attempts and safely using public WiFi, among others.
• Company administrators will have access to program analytics, Aon said, while managers can also track team members' progress.

Dive Insight:

Remote work in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic may have left organizations even more vulnerable to cyber risks and threats than they were before.

A study published in May by software company Tessian found that nearly half of surveyed workers were less likely to follow safe data practices at home. A March statement from the International Association of IT Asset Managers said employers may have rushed early remote-work shifts without instituting practices like securing sensitive data. Against this backdrop, a survey published in June by Deloitte found nearly 70% of organizations expected the number and size of cyber attacks to increase over a 12-month period, CIO Dive reported.

"Even before the global pandemic outbreak, cyber criminals were becoming increasingly active and sophisticated in their approach," Katharine Hall, leader, cyber solutions in Canada at Aon, said in the firm's statement. "Now with the increase in employees working from home, employers are facing a much higher risk of succumbing to ransomware and social engineering schemes than ever before."

Past research suggests some employers view training as important in reducing cyber risk. A 2019 survey of small business owners found 60% had trained all employees on data security. But such emphasis on training is not universal; a survey of employees published in January by review platform GetApp found "only about a half" of respondents had received data security training.

As employers determine how best to meet training needs during the pandemic, software providers have upped security protocols, too. Zoom, for example, upgraded its apps to improve the security of virtual meetings, according to CIO Dive.