To help companies reduce cybersecurity incidents, Kaspersky Lab has developed an Automated Security Awareness Platform to make it even easier for companies to ensure staff are armed with the very latest skills and knowledge. The online service aims to help companies boost the cyber-awareness of their employees enhancing training efficiency with micro learning, different lessons formats and continuous reinforcement. According to a 2017 Survey by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International,57% of companies in the UAE and 42% in KSA attributed weaknesses in their IT security strategy to the careless actions of employees. Kaspersky Automated Security Awareness Platform (ASAP) is a new web-based learning system which automates cyber-awareness training for companies of any size. The platform helps businesses to address gaps in employees' cybersecurity skills and knowledge, with each lesson taking less than 10 minutes to complete. ASAP can be used to bolster the cyber-hygiene of employees with different risk levels – from basic to advanced–through an automated learning path which allows them to progress at their own pace. Strong cyber-hygiene skills through micro learning and reinforcement To engage employees in the education process and increase their personal cyber-awareness, the platform uses the following key approaches: o Targeted training: the platform includes specific exercises to strengthen over 350 skills, with training levels ranging from beginning to advanced', to suit different profiles. For example, one member of staff might only need to have a grounding in cybersecurity, which can be gained through the ‘beginner' level, taking just a few months to complete. However, a senior manager who works with confidential information will need to know how to keep data secure across the whole department, requiring a higher level of cybersecurity knowledge. In this instance more advanced level is appropriate; o Micro learning and multimodality: sessions last between just two and 10 minutes, with methodology based on key psychological and educational practices. Taking into consideration the peculiarities of human memory, repeated reinforcement helps to build strong skills retention and prevent obliteration; o Gamification and relevance to real life: training is engaging and based on real life events. It draws on users' practical interests and highlights the personal importance of cybersecurity for employees, to ensure skills are not rejected.
