Cybersecurity Check-In: What to Do After a Suspicious Click

Cyber threats evolve fast, so cybersecurity for SMEs must be practical and repeatable. When someone clicks a dodgy link, the difference between a near-miss and a breach is often your incident response policy—clear steps everyone can follow without panic. Social engineering remains a leading cause of breaches, which makes preparation essential for smaller firms with limited resources.

First: Take These Step-by-Step Actions

Report immediately to your IT/security team. Do not delete the email yet; preserve it for analysis. Ireland’s National Cyber Security Centre advises reporting suspicious emails and then removing them—train staff to make reporting the reflex.
Stop further interaction. Do not enter credentials or download files.
Follow containment instructions. Your team may isolate the device, run an antivirus scan, and reset affected passwords, prioritizing accounts reused elsewhere.
Document what happened. Note the time, the email sender, and anything you clicked. This evidence speeds triage and, if needed, law-enforcement reports.
Review and learn. After the threat is handled, hold a brief “lessons learned” review to update playbooks and training. ENISA promotes pragmatic, repeatable practices for cybersecurity for SMEs, including awareness and basic hygiene.

Why Policies and Governance Matter

An incident response policy (Digital Strategy) turns chaos into choreography. It defines who is notified, how to contain threats, and when to escalate. In Europe, the NIS2 Directive (NIS 2 Directive) raises the bar on governance by requiring risk-management measures such as incident handling, business continuity, and staff training. Even if your SME is not directly in scope, aligning to these expectations strengthens resilience and customer trust.

Build the Foundations That Prevent Repeat Incidents

Formalize your playbooks. Write concise SOPs for phishing, ransomware, and account takeover, and tie them to your incident response policy. NIST’s (NIST Publications) widely used lifecycle—preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned—offers a clear structure to adapt.
Train and test. Run quarterly phishing simulations and short refreshers. ENISA’s SME resources (ENISA) provide practical checklists and guidance to raise baseline defenses.
Align to regulation. Track NIS2 (ncsc.gov.ie) implementation and adopt its good practices early—policies, oversight, reporting, and supplier due diligence—so you’re ready as national rules mature.

Bottom Line

Clicks happen. With clear steps, staff confidence, and governance aligned to European guidance, SMEs can contain damage quickly and come back stronger. Start by embedding reporting as muscle memory, codify your incident response policy, and use ENISA/NIS2 guidance to mature cybersecurity for SMEs without adding unnecessary complexity. Chat with us about our Security Awareness Training and Governance, Risk and Compliance.

People, Training & The Human Side of Security

When most people hear the word cybersecurity, they think of firewalls, software, or advanced technology. But the truth is that the greatest risk is often people. Employees can unintentionally open the door to cyber threats through phishing emails, weak passwords, or falling victim to social engineering. This is why cybersecurity awareness training for employees is no longer optional—it is essential.

Why People Are the First Line of Defense

Most cyberattacks are designed to trick people, not machines. Hackers know that it’s easier to manipulate an employee than to break through strong technical defenses. Insider threats, whether accidental or intentional, remain one of the biggest causes of breaches. In fact, phishing is consistently one of the top attack methods used worldwide (Read more here).

Because of this, businesses must view staff as their human firewall. Training and awareness create a workforce that is alert, cautious, and capable of spotting suspicious activity.

What Cybersecurity Awareness Training Looks Like

Cybersecurity awareness training for employees does not need to be overly technical. It is about building practical skills and habits. Training usually covers:

How to identify phishing emails.

Why strong, unique passwords matter.

Safe internet and device use.

Reporting procedures if something suspicious happens.

These are everyday skills that every employee, from leadership to frontline staff, can apply.

The Legal and Compliance Side

In Ireland, regulations such as GDPR and NIS2 expect organizations to ensure staff are trained. This is because untrained employees put sensitive data at risk. Failure to follow these rules can result in fines, reputational damage, and even the loss of customer trust. Regulators increasingly see training as part of compliance, not an optional extra (Read about the training requirements here).

Why Training Is Cheaper Than Recovery

Recovering from a breach is expensive. It can include costs from downtime, legal obligations, customer notification, and even ransom payments. In comparison, training is affordable and scalable. A well-trained team reduces the likelihood of breaches and makes incident response smoother when something does happen.

Final Thoughts

Cybersecurity is not just a technology problem. It is a people problem. Businesses that invest in their staff build stronger protection against hackers and reduce compliance risks. In the end, training is not just about meeting regulations—it is about protecting people, customers, and reputation. We train your people so your defense will withstand the attacks.