Every organization wants to avoid the high cost of a data breach, so succumbing to defensible attacks like a phishing scam is uniquely frustrating. Phishing scams are cheap and easy to execute, and they are frequently making their way into employees’ inboxes. Therefore, comprehensive awareness training is a must-have element for every organization’s cybersecurity initiatives.

Even when an organization isn’t directly responsible for a data breach, they are still charged with helping victims recover from the episode and for strengthening the cybersecurity standards going forward. Especially when minors are involved, knowing what happens to people’s information after it leaves your network is a good place to start.

The cost of a data breach is higher now than ever before, which makes a preventable data breach even more egregious. Consequently, awareness training should be a top priority for every company. The expense of credit and identity monitoring services, reputational damage, and IT upgrades far exceeds the awareness training that can prevent phishing scams from compromising customer data.

Data breaches are a veritable PR nightmare for any company, and this is especially true when prized community members, like police officers, are victimized by the incident. Since this information can quickly make its way to the Dark Web, organizations can begin repairing the damage by verifying that this information isn’t being used to perpetuate further crimes.

This is the third ransomware attack on a Georgia-based government agency in the past month, costing precious public funds that could be spent on more beneficial projects. The pattern is certainly not restricted to Georgia, and organizations of every size and in every location should prioritize robust security awareness to address network vulnerabilities before an attack occurs.