It’s not exactly breaking news, but with the rise of technologies like deepfakes and AI-driven scams, phishing attacks are becoming more frequent and complex. You want to keep your information secure and prevent security incidents. But let’s not sugarcoat it: staying ahead of cyber-criminals is a real challenge these days.
You’re investing in Cyber Security training, doing all the right things—or so it seems. Yet, somehow, the training isn’t sticking. Your team finds it tedious and zip through it, which leaves your organisation wide open to social engineering attacks, the top culprit behind cyber breaches.
You’re probably wondering why your cyber awareness training often falls flat and how to make it both informative and engaging. You’re not alone in this—many companies face these same challenges and worry about the security risks.
So, let’s unpack why your current approach may be off-target and explore some actionable steps to make a real difference.
6 Reasons Why Cyber Security Awareness Training Programme’s Don’t Work
- 1. Outdated training material
How often are you updating your security training materials? Cyber threats never stop evolving — and neither should your Cyber Security training.
Sadly, many pre-packaged training options that integrate easily into your Learning Management System (LMS) just aren’t quick enough to adapt. This delay can lead to your employees tuning out, as they might not connect with the outdated scenarios presented.
To prevent human error, effective security awareness training must address the threats that are relevant today. It should feature specific, timely examples that show these threats are real and could be impacting businesses just like yours right now.
Here’s how you can tell if your training needs a refresh:
- Repetition of Old Threats: Are you still warning about the WannaCry ransomware attack from 2017? Don't get me wrong, the WannaCry attack was huge, and ransomware is still a very real threat. But it might be time to refresh your training with the latest threats—ones that resonate more with your team's current challenges.
- Obsolete Case Studies: Take a look at your case studies. Are they stuck in the past? Update them with fresh examples of current threats like AI exploits, QR code fraud, and deepfake scams.
- 2. It’s lacking the human touch:
Another reason your Cyber Security training might not be hitting the mark? It’s missing a human touch. Cyber Security can seem like it’s all about complex tech and something only the IT team handles.
But really, it’s about people. Storytelling can transform this from a distant concept to your everyday reality, showing you how your actions can protect or endanger your business.
Here’s how you can bring stories into our Cyber Security training:
- Real Incidents, Real Impact: Share stories about actual security breaches that affected companies like yours. Discuss what went wrong, the fallout, and how it could have been prevented through employee behaviour. It’s about understanding the consequences of our actions.
- Celebrate Your Cyber Heroes: Talk about colleagues who’ve made a difference. Maybe they spotted a scam email or enforced a crucial security step at just the right time. These aren’t just feel-good stories—they show the real impact your team can have.
- Meet a Cyber Character: Use a fictional character who faces various Cyber Security dilemmas. Follow their journey and help your team see firsthand the dos and don’ts of Cyber Security in action. Think of it as learning from someone else’s mistakes—and successes.
Are you using a one-size-fits-all approach to security awareness training? If so, it’s time for a change. Different teams face different risks, and your training needs to reflect this reality.
Here’s how you can tailor your training to make it more effective:
- Role-Specific Content: Break it down by team. Your IT team needs to be on the lookout for phishing attacks aiming for their admin credentials, while the finance folks should watch for scams like deepfake requests from 'the CEO' pushing for quick payments.
- Focus on Real Risks: Use actual scenarios that could happen in your departments, incorporating lessons from past breaches that impacted us or companies like yours.
- Adapt for Different Work Environments: If you’re logging in from your kitchen table, your risks aren’t the same as someone at the office. Customise the training to cover the specific threats you face, whether remote or on-site.
- Align with Your Policies: Every training session should tie back to our company policies, showing how these guidelines are designed to shield you, from cyber threats.
- 4. Lack of engagement from senior leaders
If your Cyber Security training feels like it’s falling flat, it might be because your top leaders aren’t fully on board. Leaders set the tone for the entire team.
If they seem indifferent, thinking it’s just another item to tick off or something the IT team is nagging about, that attitude can spread, creating a culture where security is sidelined.
Here’s how you can turn this around:
- Use Leadership-Focused Training: Use tailored leader specific modules for your managers and senior leaders. These sessions should drive home the real stakes of Cyber Security—how it’s crucial not just for checking compliance boxes but for safeguarding the company’s financial health and reputation.
- Connect Security to Business Success: Emphasise that the more your company grows, the more visible and vulnerable it becomes to cyber-attacks. Leaders need to understand that good security practices are as vital as any other business strategy for growth and stability.
- Empower Leaders to Lead by Example: Equip your leaders with the tools to inspire and engage their teams in security practices. The training should include practical ways they can foster a strong security culture, from everyday habits to overarching policies in their workflows.
- Set a Positive Precedent: Encourage your leaders to be active participants in Cyber Security initiatives. They should be front and center in training sessions, openly discussing the importance of security with their teams, and showing how it's done.
- 5. There is too much of a focus on compliance
Is your Cyber Security training too focused on ticking compliance boxes? While it’s important to meet standards like GDPR or ISO27001, real security goes much deeper. This approach can make it seem like compliance is the main goal, rather than actively protecting your business from genuine threats.
Here’s how you can shift the focus to better safeguard your company:
- Emphasise the Real Goal: Help your team understand that this training is about more than compliance. It’s about defending your business from serious cyber threats. Compliance is just one piece of the puzzle, not the final goal.
- Boost Internal Communication: Use internal messages to drive home the importance of Cyber Security, not just as a regulatory requirement but as a core part of your business’s health and continuity.
- 6 Your training is too infrequent
Another common issue with cyber security awareness training for employees is its infrequency. Annual cyber awareness training isn’t enough to protect against evolving threats. Research shows that people often forget their security training after six months. This can result in gaps in their awareness.
Employees might struggle to identify threats like phishing attempts as their training becomes a distant memory.
Here’s how to keep staff Cyber Security awareness training fresh and effective:
- Regular, Bite-Sized Sessions: Shift away from lengthy, infrequent awareness training programmes. Instead, introduce short, engaging sessions that can easily fit into an employee's busy schedule. Educate employees with training videos no longer than two minutes. This can make the content more digestible and less daunting.
Maximising Engagement in Your Security Awareness Training Program
Engaging your team in cyber awareness security training can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, but it’s achievable with the right approach. By tailoring your training to be highly personalised and relevant to both your team and industry, and ensuring the messaging is spot-on, you can maximise the benefits of your training investment.
Need a bit more guidance from a security expert about training courses and phishing testing? Don’t hesitate to book an expert call or contact us at 0121 663 0055 or via email at enquiries@equilibrium-security.co.uk. We’re here to help you strengthen your security posture.
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