Employees are resisting security training in IT operations. How can you overcome their reluctance?

There are always individuals who see these types of training as immaterial to their job. It's your duty to first, educate them on why it is material and then second, tie it to their job duties and/or annual goals.

I work for an MSSP and we provide security awareness training, combined with fake phishing using a well known platform. By creating custom phishing emails that hit close to home, you can have fun trying to trick the audience. I recall a fake email that I read on my phone, from one of our local municipalities that I have been cited for a traffic violation based on evidence from a camera on a well traveled street. If I had not waited to inspect the email when I got back to my desktop, I was so close to clicking through. Try to have some fun with training!

It's important to make this mandatory training and to conduct a refresher training every year. Additionally, to ensure they understand the training, a phishing campaign should be conducted, and the results should be shared with management.

This should be a no-brainer. If there is reluctance/resistance to any task or request, the first line of action should be to speak with the relevant individual and understand why - most of the time, it could be due to a misunderstanding of the purpose (motive) of a task (in this case, the training).

Conversando e conscientizando todos sobre as necessidades de atualiza??o e treinamento constante em TI, uma vez que se trata de uma ciência em contínua evolu??o e que a falta de treinamento na área impede a realiza??o de servi?os de qualidade.

The bottom line is humans by nature are competitive, if you make the training engaging and give scenarios from real life combined with a competitive element you will get better participation.

I have found that engaging employees in security training requires creativity and relevance. Traditional training methods often fail to capture interest or convey importance effectively. Instead, leveraging interactive methods such as gamification and real-world simulations can significantly enhance engagement. These approaches turn passive learning into active participation, making training both enjoyable and memorable. For instance, simulations of phishing attacks provide practical experience, transforming abstract concepts into concrete skills that employees can readily apply in their daily routines.

I can confidently assert that the key to overcoming resistance and ensuring efficacious training lies in transcending traditional, monotonous approaches. By leveraging cutting-edge methodologies such as immersive workshops, interactive learning experiences, and realistic simulations, we can inject much-needed dynamism into the learning process. This, in turn, actively engages employees, fosters enjoyment, and transforms a perceived obligation into an intriguing challenge, thereby amplifying participation rates and fortifying the retention of critical security principles. Ultimately, this holistic approach cultivates a culture of security awareness and proficiency, empowering organizations to stay ahead of emerging threats.

You need to engage your staff and make the training relevant. Try to avoid the same repetitive training. Provide the training, then setup scenarios to test what they learned. Hire a company to try to social engineer information out of employees and award those that stop the attempt or report the attempt. I would even consider rewarding those that may have failed but alert their supervisor to what happened. Admitting their mistake is just as important and takes bravery. Have a stranger wander through the building trying to get information or insert a USB into a computer. Award the person(s) that stop that.

com certeza a interatividade em treinamento com situa??es reais e praticas faz ter a sensa??o de fazer parte de um todo na empresa de cada colaborador no sentido que estar preparado para um evento efetivo e real na hora que for preciso.

Complexity is a common barrier to effective security training. By breaking down training into bite-sized, understandable modules, we can make it more accessible. Using plain language and practical examples bridges the gap between theory and practice. I recommend creating relatable scenarios that employees encounter regularly, showing how security measures directly impact their roles. Simplified, focused training sessions can demystify cybersecurity, making it less intimidating and more approachable for all employees, regardless of their technical background.

We need to modify the training material in the simplest way and the language/words we used for the training should be common. Everyone can relate with the scenarios which we wanted to showcase.

Streamlining security training is vital to reducing employee reluctance, as intricate technical vernacular and complicated concepts can be a formidable obstacle to participation. To overcome this, condense the training into manageable, plain-language modules that focus on pragmatic, real-world implementations, employing lucid, succinct terminology and familiar examples to demonstrate the pertinence of security measures to routine tasks, rendering the training more intelligible and effortless to grasp, and ultimately augmenting employee engagement, retention, and application of acquired security practices to cultivate a culture of security awareness and adherence.

As much as the training is simple as much as the trainees have the chance to understand better and to gain more access to resources and improve the skills in a way that can bring bigger benefits to the human resources that the company hires or to the knowledge that has been gained by the trainees

There are so many security training organizations that have 5- or 10-minute snippets of security training, make it a monthly event to help keep the information fresh. Doing 1 - 2 hours of training once a year and expecting people to retain that is not realistic, but 15 minutes a month might help maintain awareness.

Incentives play a crucial role in motivating employees to prioritize security training. From my perspective, recognizing and rewarding proactive behavior can transform attitudes towards training. Incentives can range from tangible rewards like gift cards to intangible benefits like public acknowledgment and career advancement opportunities. This positive reinforcement not only encourages participation but also fosters a culture of appreciation and recognition. By linking security training to personal and professional growth, employees are more likely to see its value and engage willingly.

Training incentives can be in a form of certificate, digital badge, and some give aways like stickers, mugs and shirts. These are something that they can use or add in their online portfolio or something they can wear for them to be proud of completing a certain training. If you are conducting an internal training, make sure this gets added to their yearly performance assessment.

Provide Incentives and Recognition: Offer incentives such as certificates, recognition, or even small rewards for successfully completing the training. Acknowledge and celebrate teams or individuals who excel in the training, creating a positive reinforcement loop.

com incentivos é o que faz a roda girar e manter as pessoas interessadas nas qualifica??es, mesmo que n?o imediata mediante testes de qualifica??o, mas isso já abre um leque de possibilidades visando o retorno ou crescimento de cada colaborador.

To overcome resistance to security training, provide clear incentives: Recognition: Publicly acknowledge those who complete the training. Rewards: Offer small bonuses, gift cards, or extra time off as rewards. Career Benefits: Highlight how completing the training can help with promotions or career growth. Gamification: Create a leaderboard or competitions with prizes for top performers. These incentives can motivate employees to engage more willingly with the training.

Embedding security into the organizational culture is essential for sustained engagement. Leadership must champion security initiatives, demonstrating their importance through actions and communication. Regularly incorporating security topics into meetings and recognizing security-conscious behaviors helps normalize these practices. Sharing success stories and lessons learned from security breaches keeps the conversation relevant and ongoing. When security becomes a shared responsibility embraced at all levels, it fosters a collective commitment to protecting the organization.

It has to be integrated into the business. If the business does not promote and live with the concept of security, how can they expect their staff to do so.

Culture integration just doesn't mean training but also continuous engagement through email, social media and posters inside the workplace. Leaders should always make sure this topic gets talked about and highlighted to also serve as a reminder why awareness is important and why it will continue to be that way. It is also good to recognize everyone who made an effort making themselves aware and becoming one of the cyber defenders of the organization.

Security-related incidents should be discussed regularly in meetings, even if they did not affect your own company but a competitor in the industry (if they became known). This practice helps to raise awareness of potential risks and to learn from the mistakes of others. By analysing such incidents, valuable insights can be gained and preventative measures strengthened to avoid similar threats in one's own company. This proactive approach promotes continuous improvement of the security culture and keeps the topic of IT security in the minds of all employees.

I agree if you make it part of the culture it will be implanted in their heads every day. Put it in the new hire packet. Put up poster boards of the companies commitment to it all over the office. A mandatory interactive class would help and as a Xmas gift a mug or mouse pad pushing the company’s commitment to it.

Continuous improvement is key to maintaining the relevance and effectiveness of security training. Soliciting and acting on employee feedback ensures that the training evolves to meet their needs and expectations. Staying informed about emerging threats and adapting training content accordingly keeps the material current and pertinent. Encouraging employees to pursue further education in cybersecurity and providing resources for ongoing learning creates a dynamic, informed workforce. A commitment to continuous improvement reflects a proactive approach to security, fostering a culture of vigilance and resilience.

Employees often resist security training mainly because of the perceived complexity or time constraints. Consider the following strategies to help: 1. Tailor content to show how security impacts their daily roles and the organization's success. 2. Gamify and use simulations and hands-on activities to make learning fun and engaging. 3. Clearly explain the risks and consequences of security breaches, emphasizing personal and organizational safety. 4. Provide training at convenient times and in digestible segments to accommodate busy schedules. Make training available on-demand when practical. 5. Recognize and reward employees who complete training and demonstrate good security practices.

To encourage continuous improvement in security training. Keep the training content fresh and relevant by regularly updating it with the latest security threats and best practices. Collect feedback from employees after each session and use it to make the training more effective and engaging. Provide resources like quick reference guides or a helpdesk for security-related questions to reinforce learning. Offer advanced training opportunities for employees who want to deepen their knowledge or specialisation. Acknowledge and reward ongoing participation and improvements, fostering a culture of continuous learning. These steps help ensure that employees stay engaged and that the training evolves with the changing security landscape.

Additionally, storytelling can be a powerful tool in security training. Sharing real-life incidents and their consequences can make the risks more tangible and relatable. For instance, discussing a data breach that affected a similar company can highlight the potential impact and underscore the importance of vigilance. Personal anecdotes from employees who thwarted a security threat can also inspire and motivate others. By humanizing security issues, we can create a more compelling narrative that resonates with employees and reinforces the critical role they play in safeguarding the organization.

All of these are good perspectives. The way I see it, if the training is mandatory then there are consequences for not completing the training. If the training is optional, then it’s really just a matter of pointing out the importance and benefits. Perhaps some added incentives would help move the needle. Tie a certain number of annual continuing professional training hours per year to their performance…