Trends in cybercriminal activity dictate how cybersecurity professionals have to customize their organizations’ defense systems. Threats, such as phishing and social engineering, are forcing specialists to focus not only on high-tech software but also on training employees to counter cyberattacks.
Criminals target individual users almost exclusively, as the human factor is the most common point of failure. For this reason, proper training is critical for your employees to become the first and most reliable security measure.
The challenge lies in designing training programs that will engage users while making them feel the importance of cybersecurity. It’s important to tailor training for different types of users and their technical abilities.
You can also use different methods for engaging users and increasing their engagement to develop the most effective plan for your organization.
Security awareness training frequency
It’s good to base the frequency of security awareness training on the data that you collect during education. Look for the challenges that your employees have in understanding certain cybersecurity terms or how often they click on phishing simulation emails and other information. To achieve this, you can conduct formal testing or phishing simulations.
If you need to increase the frequency of training workshops, you can supplement your existing security awareness program without disrupting your users’ workflow. However, you should update the existing program every quarter, regardless of your company’s size and industry.
“Many organizations that implement comprehensive cybersecurity training combine quarterly awareness workshops with monthly activities that include short exercises, games, and cyber challenges to effectively keep their users informed about the changing landscape of cybersecurity risks.
This multi-level approach ensures that employees remain informed throughout the year, remain vigilant, and are prepared to address potential threats proactively in today’s changing threat landscape. It also allows organizations to provide information and adapt to current events and emerging threats.”
— Theo Zafirakos, CISO, Professional Services Lead, Terranova Security
Methods for delivering cybersecurity training
Fostering a cybersecurity culture can take time and should be carefully planned. The most important aspect is employee engagement, but this can be challenging given the nature of cybersecurity content. Not to mention that users need a good educational balance, so the training doesn’t become routine.
Here are a few recommendations for developing a favorable cybersecurity awareness program:
- Media format diversification
Cybersecurity training requires a personalized approach to users with different levels of understanding certain concepts. You can satisfy this condition by providing several learning methods.
In addition to traditional tests that are necessary to check knowledge and collect performance data, you can also use charts, images, and video. Media is useful for highlighting where the cyberthreats come from and helping trainees to detect red flags — countering cyber threats such as phishing and spoofing depends on whether users notice visual cues.
- Phishing simulation
3.4 billion phishing emails sent every day indicate that this is one of the most widespread issues. Scammers keep improving their methods, forcing IT departments to create new training content – a difficult task without proper data on employee skill level.
Phishing simulation is a great tool for providing context for anti-fraud training. It evaluates employee knowledge while giving security managers with data for further planning of your security awareness program.
We should also note that this tool should be used more as a learning experience, and not for tracking users who have clicked on a phishing link.
- Micro- and nanoeducational modules
Cybersecurity may not be the most exciting topic, but there are ways to engage users.
Quick and concise courses can be an interesting way to cover the necessary information. Studies reveal that short microlearning modules can increase the learning curve by at least 80%, minimizing vulnerabilities that can lead to data breaches with just a few minutes of content.
Fast, engaging, and fun security training that your end users can easily fit into their workday.
- Gamification
Gamification borrows elements from video games and integrates them into learning content. Basic video games, quizzes, and leaderboards make education more fun and engaging.
eLearning statistics indicate that gamification improves motivation for 83% of employees. As these modules are fast-paced and the information they provide is easy to remember, they are an ideal tool for keeping employees up to date with new and evolving cyber threats.
Final thoughts
As cyber threats now often target individual users, it is important to train staff in cybersecurity. This is challenging because it requires developing training programs that are not only engaging, but also consider the varying levels of technical proficiency. Awareness programs should be reviewed quarterly, using formal tests and phishing simulations to assess skill levels.
The frequency of training should be based on the data collected, regarding the difficulties employees face and their reactions. The training program itself can be delivered using through various media formats, phishing simulations, micro- and nano-learning modules, gamification, and other methods. Ultimately, active employee engagement and a balance in training are key factors in successfully building a cybersecurity culture.
Interested in IT security training for employees? Contact us via fortra@bakotech.com, and we’ll tell you more about Terranova training programs from Fortra.