AURORA, Ill., Nov. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Organizations seeking to strengthen their defenses against cybersecurity threats should start with two groups of employees, a speaker from CompTIA, the IT industry association, advised during a cybersecurity panel presentation here Tuesday.
"Everyone in your organizations has a role to play," said Randi Parker, director, public policy and public advocacy, CompTIA. "That includes the employees that you have, that may or may not have a security or IT job function, and the employees that you need."
Parker's remarks came during a cybersecurity panel hosted by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and organized by ByteGrid.
Research by CompTIA and other organizations consistently shows that human error is the leading contributor to security breaches, yet an October 2015 CompTIA-commissioned survey of 1,200 full-time workers across the U.S. found that 45 percent do not receive any form of cybersecurity training at work.
"Early investment into employee training can really mitigate many of the security challenges companies face," Parker said.
The employees that organizations need are those necessary to fill the estimated 230,000-plus cybersecurity jobs currently open across the country.
"Open jobs that aren't filled create more exposure to the risks that are out there," said Parker. "Having a full, robust workforce means you're going to have more people to strengthen the lines of defense. We need to be doing more to drive people into this field."
Representatives of the Federal Trade Commission, KCT Credit Union, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Waubonsee Community College also participated in the cybersecurity panel.
CompTIA is at the forefront of cybersecurity education and preparedness, providing skills certifications for individuals IT workers; credentials and tools for organizations; market leading research on security trends, threats and prevention strategies; industry communities and committees committed to security best practices and policies; and CompTIA CyberSecure™ is a self-paced, online course designed to educate everyone in the workplace – from the front desk receptionist to the company's top executive – on the cybersecurity best practices that are vital to protecting the business.
About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a non-profit trade association serving as the voice of the information technology industry. With approximately 2,000 member companies, 3,000 academic and training partners and more than two million IT certifications issued, CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. To learn more, visit CompTIA online, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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SOURCE CompTIA
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