Social engineering, phishing, and other cyber incidents associated with human blunders caused around 68% of security breaches in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, business leaders no longer question the need for formal cybersecurity training for all employees anymore. The sticking point is not so much whether they should do training, but rather how to do it effectively. How can they ensure long-lasting results and a permanent change in employees’ cybersecurity habits?
Cybersecurity training may have gotten off to a bad start, with dull classroom sessions packed with technical jargon. Thankfully, there’s been a noticeable shift to that approach. The “new” cybersecurity training wave is far more fun and interesting.
The focus is to turn basic cyber hygiene into a long-term, everyday lifestyle choice for everyone. Teaching methods have become significantly more effective. Now, trainers use simulations to show people how easily a malicious URL can infect a computer. They can also demonstrate the benefits of a VPN (virtual private network) and other cybersecurity tools in the classroom. Simulations are partly shocking, funny, awe-inspiring, and a sobering practical lesson.
The Pressure to Intensify Security Awareness Training
AI-supported fraudsters have perfected routines to exploit human traits. They manipulate our curiosity and appeal to our FOMO (fear of missing out), ambition, and other emotions. Their social engineering and phishing tricks lure people into clicking unsafe links or handing out sensitive data.
Anyone with a smart device or computer is in their direct line of fire. Unfortunately, cybersecurity systems cannot always compensate for human errors.
Formal security awareness training teaches people how to spot and react to cyber risks in their daily work environment. It also teaches them how to handle data responsibly and follow data privacy regulations. People’s security savvy is the most important factor in a business’s cybersecurity posture.
10 Actionable Tips to Get Value From Cybersecurity Training Courses
At the end of the day, we all strive for results that justify our investment. Establishing clear guidelines followed by a set of non-negotiable rules will help to ensure a smoother and more efficient learning process.
Don’t Make Any Exceptions
The majority of security breaches are the direct result of human error. Since all staff at all levels are (currently!) still human, everyone should undergo training. That includes senior management, temp staff, contractors—anyone who uses your equipment or accesses your data. It’s becoming a standard staff training requirement in many companies.
Incorporate Quick Results That Will Grow into Long-Term Habits
Focus on tips, rules, and information that staff can implement quickly. For example, remind them to stick to approved company cloud platforms to store data. Ensure they follow your remote security policy on who may use or share company data. Similarly, it only takes a few minutes to update security software or install a VPN on a home router.
A VPN encrypts the data in transit between your computer and its destination server on the internet. Encryption turns sensitive data into a useless hash, so attackers can’t intercept logins, financial information, or your company’s proprietary data.
Once employees understand the concept of encryption, they readily adopt company rules about securing their home networks. They understand why they should never use public Wi-Fi without a VPN for protection.
Spell out the Cost of Nonconformance
Business success depends on the hard work and commitment of their human resources. Every employee carries some responsibility for securing the company’s future. In the present deluge of technological advancement, one accidental click on a dangerous URL could cost a company millions. It can jeopardise the company and threaten everyone’s jobs.
A trainer’s biggest task is to drive this message home: Every employee is a fallible component of the cybersecurity of the whole.
Accommodate All Expertise Levels
Your tech staff are computer experts, but the rest of your workers are not. Accommodate all levels of technical knowledge. For training, use simple language and avid technical jargon. Don’t overwhelm people with too much information or a too broad curriculum. However, creating a quick reference guide to technical terms for those interested in learning more is a good idea.
Vary the Duration and Format of Training Sessions
A traditional classroom setup can help them find their feet quickly at the start or when introducing new modules or topics. People can ask “silly questions” and get immediate feedback from the instructor.
- Quizzes work well for measuring people’s understanding of the course material.
- Phishing simulations via email and SMS can have a sobering effect on people who think cyberattacks could never happen to them. But remember, it can be a shocking and emotionally charged experience, so please plan the simulations carefully.
- Schedule regular follow-up messages and quick tests. It’s a proven method to boost memory recall rates.
Once they have the basics, you can add various forms of online training. For example, reinforce important topics with text messages, slides, emails, audio, or video. Follow it up with a quick test. Keep the videos or video seminars short and to the point so they can work it into a normal workday.
Invest in Professional Training Material
Keep training material simple but make it professional, elegant, and interesting. Add quick how-to guides, stickers, brochures, posters, or infographics to your lineup. The aim is to keep reminding people that you trust them with the keys to the company’s secrets. In return, they should follow a few simple rules.
Measure Success and Failure
It can be difficult to quantify progress. It’s easy to measure success if the company had many incidents before the training and then showed a low attack rate afterward. Measuring the countless attacks your newly trained staff may have foiled is much harder. Use advanced software to identify new threats you haven’t covered in training yet. Also, try to identify high-risk users and your star performers.
Dangle Some Carrots
Some companies recognise long-term changes in employee behavior with cash bonuses. For example, they reward employees who perform well in periodic simulated phishing tests. Since the average cost of a cyber incident is now around $4.88M, it’s far cheaper to reward vigilant employees for being proactive than to fall prey to a major cyberattack.
Cyber training can also benefit employees’ families. Urge them to share your training content with their families and friends. Most people work from home sometimes. Anything that helps secure their home networks will directly benefit the employer.
Make it Certifiable
Recognise your employees’ continued efforts with an official certificate of achievement. It’s a small gesture but can make a big difference in employees’ feelings of empowerment in the workplace. Demonstrate your company’s commitment to security. Consider sponsoring the fees for applicable recognised external training certifications.
Can you incorporate applicable industry standards into your company’s long-term training plan? For example, if employees of a medical services company embrace data privacy and security training, the company might find that a formal HIPAA certification is within easy reach. In non-medical fields, companies could aim for a more general ISO 27001 certification. It’s an internationally recognised standard for managing sensitive information.
Add a Little Stick
It’s better to reward employees for changing their long-term behaviors around data safety and security. But if some people refuse to do the training – or repeatedly fail formal and informal tests – you may have a problem on your hands. Unfortunately, employees who won’t (or are unable to) help defend your company pose a long-term threat to the company.
Offer further training, but consider making performance bonuses subject to completing the training successfully. If all else fails, you may need to take additional steps in the company’s interests.
Set Your Sights on Influencing Long-Term Lifestyle Changes
Tech defense tools still need input from people to function properly. It’s people who add 2FA security to accounts, switch on firewalls, and watch out for signs of social engineering. No matter how advanced and sophisticated your cybersecurity tools are, they need the human touch. The key ingredient is people with security awareness training and good instincts, who have turned good cyber hygiene habits into a way of life.
Author: Alyse Falk – Freelance content writer
Photo credit: StockCake
