Training strengthens security

The Computing Technology Industry Association reports that security training for your IT staff pays in the form of fewer security breaches that affect operations.

According to CompTIA’s survey, 46% of organizations with at least one-fourth of their IT staff trained in security reported experiencing a security breach in the last six months. By comparison, 66% of organizations with fewer than one-fourth of its IT staff trained in security say they experienced a security breach in the last six months.

“There is growing recognition that training and certification are key elements in improving IT security,” CompTIA President and CEO John Venator says. “Now more than ever, organizations realize that information and intellectual property are their lifeblood. They also realize that it’s easier than ever for people to access, lose or steal this information. Anyone with a PC, a laptop, a mobile phone, or a PDA is a potential threat to security.”

CompTIA, a trade association that offers the vendor-neutral CompTIA Security + certification, points to survey results that show more organizations are investing in security training and certification and reaping the benefits. Of the responding companies, 30% require security training and 28% require security experience from their new IT hires. 

The survey also delves into real and perceived return on investment. Among those firms that have invested in IT security training, 80% say their security has improved. Likewise, 70% of those who have invested in certification feel the same way. Benefits of security training and certification include improved ability to identify potential security risks, increased awareness levels and implementation of better security measures.

Seeking to quantify the gain of security training, the study pegged the median value of estimated ROI for training at $20,000 per employee per year and the estimated ROI from certification at $25,000 per certified employee per year.www.comptia.org 

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