Today, companies in every industry face mounting cybersecurity risks. In fact, according to research, organizations in Q2 2024 experienced an average of 1,636 cyber attacks per week, representing a 30% year-over-year increase. These risks are significantly compounded when employees don’t understand their role in guarding against attacks—human error almost always plays a role in security breaches.
Providing cybersecurity training for employees is the key to strengthening your business’ organizational security. However, most employees see this type of training as the responsibility of the IT department and find the training blunt and dull. They’re less likely to remember, let alone master, the critical best practices that could make them an organization’s security asset.
This article dives deeper into these challenges associated with cybersecurity training and provides best practices for designing and implementing an effective training program for your organization.
What Is Cybersecurity Awareness Training?
Cybersecurity awareness training is the process of educating employees or users about the importance of cybersecurity and equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to protect sensitive data, identify potential threats, and follow best practices for maintaining a secure online environment. Such training aims to reduce the risk of human error, which is one of the leading causes of security breaches, and to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
Why Is Cybersecurity Training in the Workplace Important?
Here is why implementing an effective cybersecurity training program is paramount for organizations.
1. Risk reduction and cost savings
Cybersecurity training equips employees with the knowledge and skills to recognize and avoid potential cyber threats, such as phishing attacks, malware, and social engineering tactics. Human error is a leading cause of data breaches, and training can significantly reduce the likelihood of an employee inadvertently compromising security. Effective training also reduces the likelihood of costly incidents, saving businesses from potentially millions in financial losses and helping to avoid expensive legal and regulatory penalties.
2. Compliance with regulations
Many industries are subject to strict data protection regulations, such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), and PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). Failure to comply with these regulations can result in hefty fines and legal consequences.
Cybersecurity training helps employees understand the legal requirements for protecting data and the procedures necessary to maintain compliance. This is crucial for avoiding penalties and staying within legal boundaries.
3. Protecting company data and reputation
Data breaches can significantly harm a company’s reputation and result in losing customers and business partners. Cybersecurity training educates employees on safeguarding sensitive information such as customer data, intellectual property, and proprietary business information.
Cybersecurity Threats Faced by Employees
Here are some of the most common cybersecurity threats.
1. Phishing attacks
Phishing is a primary vector for cybercrime. In fact, 1 in 3 data breaches involves phishing. Phishing attacks are attempts to trick employees into divulging sensitive information, such as login credentials, credit card numbers, or corporate data, by impersonating legitimate entities. This is often done through fraudulent emails, fake websites, or messaging platforms.
- Example: An employee may receive an email pretending to be from their bank or HR department asking them to click a link and provide personal details.
- Prevention: Employees must be trained to recognize suspicious emails, verify sources, and avoid clicking on unknown links.
2. Ransomware
Ransomware is the most prevalent form of malware, involved in nearly 70% of malware-related breaches.
Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts a company’s files or entire systems, rendering them inaccessible until a ransom is paid. These attacks can come through phishing emails, malicious downloads, or infected websites.
- Example: A hospital’s computer system may be infected with ransomware, freezing all patient records and disrupting healthcare services until the ransom is paid.
- Prevention: Regular backups, security patches, and employee training on avoiding suspicious downloads can mitigate the risks of ransomware.
3. Social engineering
Social engineering refers to manipulating employees into performing actions or divulging confidential information. These attacks prey on human psychology rather than technical vulnerabilities, often exploiting trust or fear.
- Example: An attacker may pose as an IT technician and call an employee asking for their login credentials to “fix” an urgent issue.
- Prevention: Educating employees to verify requests and never share sensitive information over the phone or email is key to preventing social engineering.
4. Weak passwords and credential theft
Weak passwords are easily guessable or reused across multiple platforms, making them vulnerable to attacks such as brute force or credential stuffing. Credential theft occurs when attackers steal login information to access sensitive systems.
- Example: An employee using “password123” or the same password across multiple work-related accounts increases the risk of credential theft.
- Prevention: Enforcing strong password policies, using multi-factor authentication (MFA), and educating employees on the importance of unique passwords can significantly reduce the risk.
5. Insider threats
Insider threats refer to risks posed by employees, contractors, or partners who have legitimate access to an organization’s systems but intentionally or unintentionally misuse it to cause harm. This can involve leaking data, stealing intellectual property, or facilitating cyberattacks.
- Example: A disgruntled employee may steal company data before leaving the organization and sell it to competitors or hackers.
- Prevention: Monitoring employee behavior, limiting access to sensitive data based on roles, and implementing strict security protocols can mitigate insider threats.
Key Components of Cybersecurity Training
Here are the major components of an effective cybersecurity training program.
- Understanding basic cybersecurity concepts: This involves teaching employees the fundamental principles of cybersecurity, such as what malware, firewalls, encryption, and network security are. It helps them understand the different types of threats and the basic mechanisms that protect systems.
- Recognizing phishing attempts: Training employees to identify phishing emails or messages that aim to steal sensitive information by pretending to be from a legitimate source.
- Safe browsing practices: Teaching employees to navigate the internet safely by avoiding suspicious websites, not downloading files from untrusted sources, and understanding the risks associated with unsecured websites.
- Password management: Training employees on how to create and manage strong, unique passwords for different accounts and encouraging the use of password management tools.
- Data protection and privacy: Educating employees on responsibly handling sensitive company and customer data. This includes proper data storage, sharing protocols, and understanding privacy laws and regulations.
- Incident reporting: Training employees on how to recognize and report security incidents, such as suspicious emails, data breaches, or system vulnerabilities, to the appropriate ITSM or security teams.
Best Practices for Training Employees on Cybersecurity Awareness
Here are some best practices to ensure that your cybersecurity training is not only informative but also engaging and role-specific, helping employees effectively safeguard the organization against cyber threats.
1. Regular training sessions
Cyber threats change over time. This is why cybersecurity training must be an ongoing effort, not a one-time event. Regular, continuous learning and cybersecurity reminders help employees stay updated on evolving threats, new security policies, and the latest best practices.
2. Multimodal learning
3. Hands-on training
Hands-on training for cybersecurity involves practical exercises that allow employees to directly interact with tools and real-world scenarios to better understand cybersecurity threats and how to mitigate them. This approach helps learners practice skills in a controlled environment, enhancing their ability to apply concepts in real-life situations.
4. Tailored training based on roles
Different roles within an organization face different cybersecurity risks. Tailoring your training materials to specific roles ensures that employees receive relevant information and skills needed to mitigate risks specific to their job functions.
5. Gamification and engagement
Gamification in training involves incorporating game-like elements (such as leaderboards, badges, or rewards) into training to make it more engaging and competitive. This technique increases employee participation and makes learning fun.
6. Clear policies and guidelines
Providing employees with clear, concise policies and guidelines on cybersecurity practices ensures they understand their responsibilities. These guidelines should outline what actions to take when facing a potential threat or breach and the method of procedures in the event of an incident.
Challenges of Cybersecurity Training in the Workplace
There is no one-and-done solution to workplace cybersecurity training. Because cyber threats are complex and ever-changing, cybersecurity awareness training needs to be robust and adaptive. Security professionals face several challenges when designing and implementing training. Let’s discuss a few of them.
1. Overcoming employee apathy
Many employees see cybersecurity as the responsibility of the IT department, which can lead to complacency. They may not fully appreciate the importance of following security protocols or may feel that training is not relevant to their daily tasks.
Apathy leads to a lack of engagement with training materials and poor adherence to security practices, increasing the risk of human error. It’s particularly difficult when employees view training as a boring or routine requirement.
2. Getting leadership on board
Like with most organization-wide projects, it’s critical to get upper management on board. Without leadership support, it becomes difficult to secure the necessary budget, tools, and time for effective training.
To keep leadership excited and involved, continue pointing them to the importance of cybersecurity training. Be clear and transparent about how cybersecurity affects the company’s overall success and highlight the harm security attacks could cause. Use analytics and reporting tools to demonstrate the effectiveness of your training programs.
3. Evolving cyber threats
Cybersecurity threats evolve and adapt quickly. To ensure that employees are well-equipped to handle the newest threats, training must be updated along with them. Many cybersecurity awareness training programs are designed to be delivered in small doses over long periods of time. Taking advantage of one of these solutions gives IT the opportunity to deliver up-to-date information about evolving cybersecurity threats as they emerge.
4. Measuring effectiveness
It can be challenging to measure the effectiveness of training, especially in the short term. Many organizations struggle to track how well employees have absorbed the training or how much it has improved their ability to prevent or respond to threats.
10 Cybersecurity Training Tools for Employees
Here are the top 10 cybersecurity training tools for your employees.
1. KnowBe4
G2 rating: 4.7/5
KnowBe4 is a widely recognized cybersecurity training platform specializing in security awareness training and simulated phishing attacks. It provides an extensive library of training materials, including interactive modules, quizzes, and videos, to educate employees on identifying and avoiding cyber threats. The platform also offers phishing simulations to test employees’ responses to real-world attacks, with detailed reporting and analytics for organizations to monitor progress. It is designed to be user-friendly, making it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes.
2. Hoxhunt
G2 rating: 4.7/5
Hoxhunt is an AI-powered cybersecurity training tool that focuses on personalized, gamified learning experiences to improve employee engagement. The platform specializes in phishing simulations and adaptive training programs that adjust based on the employee’s behavior and responses to previous training exercises. Hoxhunt’s automated system sends out simulated attacks and provides real-time feedback, helping organizations strengthen their human firewall. The platform also offers analytics and dashboards to measure the effectiveness of the training programs.
3. CybSafe
G2 rating: 5/5
CybSafe uses behavioral science to reduce human-related cybersecurity risks by focusing on changing user behaviors rather than just providing static content. It offers personalized, data-driven training modules that adapt to the specific needs of the organization and individual employees. CybSafe includes phishing simulations, risk assessments, and user behavior tracking to provide insights into how employees interact with cybersecurity threats. This platform emphasizes long-term behavioral change and integrates with existing security infrastructures to offer continuous learning and protection.
4. SoSafe
G2 rating: 4.5/5
SoSafe is a security awareness platform that offers tailored cybersecurity training through engaging, interactive content. It includes phishing simulations, real-time behavioral analytics, and GDPR-compliant data protection training. SoSafe is particularly known for its gamification features, allowing employees to earn badges and rewards for successfully completing tasks, which helps boost engagement and retention of cybersecurity best practices. The platform supports multiple languages and is highly customizable to suit different organizational needs.
5. Infosec IQ
G2 rating: 4.5/5
Infosec IQ provides comprehensive security awareness training and phishing simulations to help employees develop a strong understanding of cybersecurity threats. With over 2,000 training resources, including role-based training, Infosec IQ allows organizations to target specific vulnerabilities within different departments. It also includes robust reporting tools to monitor progress and ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR and HIPAA. Infosec IQ is flexible and scalable, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations.
6. Phished
G2 rating: 4.6/5
Phished is an AI-driven platform that combines phishing simulations with personalized, ongoing security training to help employees recognize and respond to cyber threats. The platform adapts to individual behavior, ensuring that training remains relevant and challenging for all employees. Phished’s AI-generated phishing emails closely mimic real-world attacks, offering users hands-on experience in identifying threats. Detailed reporting and dashboards allow administrators to monitor the effectiveness of the program and fine-tune their approach.
7. NINJIO Security Awareness
G2 rating: 4.9/5
NINJIO security awareness uses a microlearning and gamification approach to creating fun and engaging training content. The company’s NINJIO AWARE™ anime uses gamified, anime-style videos to educate employees about cybersecurity threats. These videos are housed in an extensive training library, updated every month with new content based on real-life examples of recent security breaches.
NINJIO offers a number of features to fit different business needs as well. Its ‘corporate’ solution uses more conservative anime styles, ‘nano’ offers super short episodes for busy team members, and ‘phish’ is specifically geared toward simulating phishing attacks to test and analyze employee vulnerability on a regular basis.
8. Proofpoint Security Awareness Training
G2 rating: 4.5/5
Proofpoint aims to change how employees interact with cybersecurity threats and improve security outcomes for its customers. This cybersecurity awareness solution is targeted to the specific vulnerabilities, roles, and competencies of a company’s employees, providing microlearning content to build sustainable habits.
Proofpoint’s system utilizes baseline knowledge & culture assessments, adaptive learning, behavioral enforcement, and evaluation tools to deliver and adapt training as needed. Its phishing and USB simulations are based on real-life threats to identify your company’s most frequently attacked and most click-happy team members.
9. Usecure
G2 rating: 4.6/5
Usecure’s cybersecurity awareness training platform uses tailored training programs and automated delivery of simulated phishing attacks to measure a company’s human risk and boost employee cybersecurity awareness. The platform’s features include policy management, dark web monitoring, and human risk reporting. Usecure’s compliance tracking tools include audit and progress reports as well as training adoption tracking to demonstrate efficacy.
10. Immersive Labs
G2 rating: 4.7/5
Immersive Labs provides cybersecurity training for security-oriented teams such as developers, cyber teams, business leaders, engineering teams, and security hiring teams. This solution focuses on building employee resilience by providing hands-on training and realistic simulations so security teams can measure cyber readiness in relation to industry benchmarks.
Immersive Labs’ features include a cyber crisis simulator, immersive training, candidate screening tools, and even emulated production environments for security testing.
10 Best Cybersecurity Training Courses
Here are the best cybersecurity courses to enroll your employees in:
1. Cybersecurity Specialization Certification by the University of Maryland
This Cybersecurity Specialization Certification covers usable security, software security, cryptography, and hardware security. It’s an intermediate-level course offering comprehensive training on securing systems and responding to cyber threats.
- Best For: Intermediate learners who want a broad understanding of cybersecurity.
- Duration: 8 months (self-paced).
- Platform: Coursera
2. Udemy’s The Complete Cyber Security Course
A highly popular course designed by Nathan House. It covers all the fundamentals of cybersecurity in four volumes, from privacy to network security and hacking techniques.
- Best For: Beginners and intermediate learners looking for affordable, self-paced learning.
- Duration: 50+ hours.
- Platform: Udemy
3. SANS Cyber Aces Free Cyber Security Training Course
Offered by the SANS Institute, this Cyber Aces covers the basics of operating systems, networking, and system administration, making it a great entry point for cybersecurity beginners.
- Best For: Beginners looking for free cybersecurity education.
- Duration: Self-paced.
- Platform: SANS Cyber Aces
4. TryHackMe
TryHackMe uses short, gamified, real-world labs to teach users about cybersecurity. This platform was created in an effort to make learning about cybersecurity more accessible and straightforward. TryHackMe has a variety of hands-on training content geared toward teaching learners whether they are seasoned professionals or just starting out.
- Best For: Individuals who prefer interactive, hands-on learning experiences.
- Duration: Self-paced.
- Platform: TryHackMe
5. Cybrary
Cybrary is an online cybersecurity learning platform with solutions for individuals and teams. This platform contains over two thousand cybersecurity training courses in addition to certification preparation tools and simulations. Cybrary starts out free and has a variety of helpful premium features like custom paths, skill proficiency reporting, and even a discord community.
- Best For: Learners at all levels seeking a wide variety of courses.
- Duration: Self-paced.
- Platform: Cybrary
6. StationX VIP Membership
StationX is a cybersecurity training and career development platform aimed at helping individuals pass top certification exams and excel as cybersecurity professionals. StationX offers courses on topics like IT essentials, ethical hacking and penetration testing, and even passing specific certifications. VIP Membership includes direct support from security experts and completion certificates for each course taken.
- Best For: Professionals and advanced learners who want access to a broad range of courses.
- Duration: Ongoing access.
- Platform: StationX
7. edX Essentials of Cybersecurity
The University of Washington offers this cybersecurity training certificate through edX as a set of four courses to be completed over the course of six months. Through this program, learners understand the inner workings of the cybersecurity industry, the types of security threats, and learn the information they need to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
- Best For: Professionals wanting to build a strong cybersecurity foundation.
- Duration: 6 weeks.
- Platform: edX
8. Harvard Cybersecurity: Managing Risk in the Information Age
This executive-level course focuses on understanding cybersecurity risks and implementing strategic management to mitigate them. It is particularly suited for business leaders and managers.
- Best For: Business leaders and executives focusing on cybersecurity risk management.
- Duration: 8 weeks.
- Platform: Harvard Online
9. Professional Certificate in Cybersecurity Executive Education Program (MIT xPRO)
This advanced course from MIT focuses on both defensive and offensive cybersecurity tactics. It covers cyber laws, operations, identity management, and prepares learners for industry certifications like CISSP.
- Best For: IT professionals and those in leadership roles seeking advanced training.
- Duration: 24 weeks.
- Platform: MIT xPRO
10. Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
Google offers this beginner-friendly course that provides foundational skills in cybersecurity. It covers topics such as risk management, threat detection, and secure software development.
- Best For: Beginners with no prior experience looking to enter the field of cybersecurity.
- Duration: Self-paced.
- Platform: Google
Compliance Training Clicks Better With Whatfix
Implementing a digital adoption platform like Whatfix that overlays all your enterprise software and applications helps strengthen cybersecurity by actively supporting employees in adhering to best practices and reducing the likelihood of human error. Here’s how it helps:
- Real-Time Cybersecurity Training: Whatfix delivers just-in-time pop-ups and nudges when users engage with high-risk activities, such as logging in with weak passwords or accessing unsafe websites. This real-time feedback ensures employees are constantly reminded of security protocols, reinforcing secure behavior at critical moments.
- Enhanced Compliance: Whatfix can notify users about important updates in security policies or compliance requirements, helping organizations maintain adherence to industry standards like GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI-DSS. This keeps employees informed and aligned with the latest regulatory changes.
- Secure Access to Sensitive Features: Whatfix can guide users through secure processes, ensuring they follow the correct steps when handling sensitive data or accessing restricted areas of the software. This reduces the chance of errors that could lead to security breaches.
- Reduce Human Error: By embedding cybersecurity tips and alerts directly into workflows, Whatfix reduces reliance on memory or manual effort. Employees are more likely to follow security practices because guidance is provided within the context of their work.
- End-User Analytics: Whatfix provides detailed analytics on user behavior, enabling organizations to identify where employees struggle with security procedures. This data allows targeted retraining to address gaps, ensuring that all staff are following security best practices.
To learn more about Whatfix, schedule a free demo with us today!