In the wake of recent high-profile cyber attacks, including the attack on Sony Pictures and the security breaches at Target, JPMorgan Chase, and Home Depot, President Obama recently proposed a series of new laws aimed at strengthening the nation’s cyber defense resources. Meanwhile, experts say training is the first, and best, line of defense against cyber threats. According to a recent study—released by Pittsburgh-based Wombat Security Technologies in association with the Aberdeen Group, a Boston-based research firm—increased investment in employee training can greatly reduce a company’s vulnerability to cyber attack. The analysis found that by altering employee responses to threats posed on social media, via phishing, or through other malicious tactics, employers reduced their risk of vulnerability. Additionally, the study found that lack of training can weaken IT security, and that end users are increasingly a security threat. The CEO and president of Wombat said, “Many security officers intuitively know that security education is an important line of defense against cyber crime, but they have trouble convincing senior management to spend the money necessary to execute an effective training program.”