What makes a good and effective cyber training program?

Whilst significant work has been done on organisational and global cyber security and awareness levels for the past decade, a tumultuous period of social unrest and financial collapse has reawakened the threat of cyber attacks and breaches. 

Post pandemic and entering a possible recession in many nations, organisations must prioritise cyber security awareness and education. A key component of this effort is a well-structured cyber training program that equips employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify and mitigate cyber risks, both common and emerging (Deepfakes, AI, ChatGPT, Metaverse etc.).

This article aims to provide insights into what a cyber training program involves, its benefits, and key considerations for implementing an effective program in your organisation. 

What is the aim of a cyber training program?

A cyber security training and awareness program is a structured initiative designed to educate employees on various aspects of cyber security and security behaviours.

A cyber training program should cover a range of topics, including recognising common cyber threats like phishing and ransomware, data protection protocols, and adhering to international and internal security policies and regulations. Your cyber security and awareness program can be delivered through in-person training sessions, online modules, workshops, or a combination of various communication channels and materials – which is what we recommend as every employee has a different way of learning - whether this is how they learn or what language they learn in.

The goal is to empower employees with the necessary knowledge and skills to safeguard sensitive data, protect against cyber attacks, and respond effectively in the event of a security incident.

What are the benefits of a cyber training program?

• Heightened security awareness: A well-designed and deployed training program enhances employees' understanding of cyber risks, making them more vigilant and proactive in identifying potential threats. It fosters a security-conscious culture throughout the organisation and keeps both your wealth and your clients safe. When all of your employees are vigilant to cyber threats and risks, you mitigate the chances of a threat actor or malicious file dropping into your network/organisation. 
• Risk mitigation: By educating employees about best practices, security policies, and procedures, a cyber training program minimises the likelihood of human error leading to security breaches. Employees become key contributors to mitigating risks and protecting critical data assets. Your cyber security and awareness program is also your chance to get out ahead of emerging threats and educate employees on risks before they come face to face with one in a potentially damaging situation. 
• Incident response readiness: If there's one harsh truth every CISO and security leader understand it is that you can’t stop every single cyber attack … but effective training equips employees with the knowledge and skills needed to respond promptly and effectively to security incidents if they do occur. A cyber security training and awareness program will teach employees how to report incidents, follow incident response protocols, and mitigate the impact of an attack.
• Regulatory compliance: In industries with stringent data protection regulations, a cyber training program helps organisations fulfil compliance requirements. By ensuring employees are aware of relevant regulations such as GDPR and their responsibilities, organisations can avoid penalties, reputational damage and legal persecution. Trust us, the return on investment with cyber security training and awareness far outweighs the monumental fees that hit post-breach or cyber attack. 

What makes a good and effective cyber training program?

• Customisation: Tailoring your training program to your organisation's specific needs, considering its industry, size, and unique risk landscape, as well as how your different employee demographics learn is paramount. Individually customised content ensures relevance and engagement among employees. A 55 year old native employee will engage and learn very differently to a 25 year old employee who has just moved to the country. You have to take these variables into account if you want a holistically successful program. Working with a cyber security awareness partner like TSC, who produce materials and products in over 15 languages and for a variety of learners, will enhance the reach of your internal communication campaigns as it is backed by over 25 years of experience and subject matter professionals. 
• Continuous training: Cyber security threats and best practices evolve rapidly. For instance, in the last year alone, the industry has had to contend with new attack surfaces created by Metaverse technology as well as sophisticated and supercharged cyber attacks via AI language models and deepfake trickery. Implementing an ongoing training schedule to keep employees updated on the latest threats, emerging technologies, and security trends is needed to supplement your overall program. Regular refreshers reinforce foundational knowledge and help maintain a strong security posture for all employees.
• Interactive and engaging content: Use a variety of instructional methods, such as real-life scenarios, interactive exercises, and simulations, to engage employees during the training program. As we've already talked about; your employees will learn differently from each other - you must view this is an advantage rather than a positive as it allows you to widen the scope of your communication channels and the breadth of your program. 
• Board engagement and buy-in: We can get so obsessed with increasing employee knowledge and developing secure behaviours that we forget that C-suite executives also need to be included. Secure executive buy-in and support for your training program for a variety of benefits. Firstly, when leadership actively promotes and participates in the program, your organisation is emphasising its importance to employees lower down the ladder and, as a result, you will foster a culture of security awareness. If you get the board to buy in, you will see a cascading effect on cyber security in your organisation.
• KPIs and evaluation: We are massive proponents of evaluating security programs, measuring positives and benefits and then moving forward with enhanced and improved versions. This is why we also offer a SABR (Security Awareness and Behaviour Research) tool for clients that want to evaluate the current status of their security maturity, what needs to be addressed and how. By establishing metrics (such as common security mistakes and key performance indicators) to measure the effectiveness of the training program - as a CISO, you also arm yourself with quality referential data when feeding back to executives. Regular evaluations and feedback sessions allow for continuous improvement and adaptation based on the evolving threat landscape and employee feedback.

Final thoughts

A cyber security and awareness training program is a vital component of any organisation's cyber security strategy. By educating employees about cyber risks, safe practices, and incident response protocols, organisations empower their workforce to be proactive defenders against cyber threats.

A well-designed program enhances security awareness, mitigates risks, and cultivates a strong security culture. By considering customisation (channel and language), continuous training and refreshers, interactive content, board buy-in and management support, and evaluation metrics, organisations can implement an effective training program that strengthens their overall security posture and safeguards critical data assets.

If you would like more information about how The Security Company can support your cyber security training and awareness program or how we can run a behavioural survey to pinpoint lax behaviours and gaps in your security armour ... please contact our Head of Business Development and Sales,  Jenny Mandley.

The Security Company's vast library of customised and non-customised products and services are tailored for small, medium and large organisations and are available in a variety of languages. We also offer bespoke solutions for organisations that desire training and awareness materials built from the ground up.