How can you keep your security awareness training relevant to the changing threat landscape?

One area that people often forget about when assessing training needs is compliance. When it comes to compliance such as PCI, HIPAA, and GDPR, organizations need to ensure that trainings specifically address compliance requirements from these frameworks. These frameworks require that specific training is provided on the specific requirements for protecting and handling sensitive data such as health data, credit card data and personal data. Not including compliance when assessing training needs could cause your organization to be out of compliance with these frameworks.

To maintain the relevance of security awareness training in a rapidly evolving threat landscape, regularly update training materials, include real-world examples of recent security breaches, conduct phishing simulations based on current tactics, integrate threat intelligence, use interactive training methods, customize content to specific roles, perform regular assessments, encourage feedback and reporting of potential incidents, run awareness campaigns tied to current threats or events, promote continuous learning through industry resources, maintain open communication channels, and consider adaptive training solutions to address individual needs and knowledge levels.

It's crucial to tailored security awareness training that addresses actual risks and employee needs, while maximizing cybersecurity effectiveness and protection. Let’s imagine a company that has experienced phishing attacks. Employees often fall victim to these scams because they lack awareness. So without assessing the training needs, the company might provide generic security awareness training.

Different companies will have different threat landscape and therefore the needs would be different. You can't simply train your employees what everyone is doing just because it worked for them. The needs will be different depending on the number of employees, the industry you work in, and the level of risk that your assets have. Evaluate your industry; you might be in the defense industry for example, so security needs to be very high and employees well trained and aware even if the company size is small. Don't wait to be a victim to act based on a bad experience. Assess your risks and make a handmade training to keep your employees sharp.

To maintain security awareness training relevance: 1. Regularly update content based on evolving threats. 2. Include real-world threat intelligence. 3. Use scenario-based training and simulations. 4. Conduct frequent phishing simulations. 5. Share recent security breach case studies. 6. Employ interactive and mobile-friendly learning methods. 7. Customize training for different roles. 8. Collect and act on employee feedback. 9. Continuously assess knowledge. 10. Appoint security champions. 11. Collaborate with IT and security teams. 12. Stay compliant with regulations. 13. Host threat briefings and discussions. 14. Offer advanced training for specialized roles. 15. Benchmark against industry standards.

Updating training content is vital to keep it accurate, relevant, and aligned with evolving threats and regulations. This will equip employees with the knowledge and skills to defend against cyber threats and security breaches. You would not get an outdated map right so you get lost or fall victim of unexpected challenges along the way.

That training you carried out two years ago will not necessarily work now. Assess again and keep an eye for the changes that your company has implemented; new departments, new technologies, new offices, mergers, acquisitions, etc. These changes may have brought new people, new teams and new risks that need to be assessed and the that old training content that worked so well, updated.

To maintain the relevance of security awareness training, stay updated with the evolving threat landscape. Continuously update training materials, integrate real-world scenarios and threat intelligence, conduct phishing simulations, and promote a culture of knowledge sharing. Implement gamified, microlearning modules, and regularly assess employee knowledge. Adapt policies, involve experts, and ensure senior management support. This proactive approach helps employees stay informed and vigilant in the face of emerging cyber threats.

We need to use different methods to engage learners effectively. Mix online learning, workshops, webinars, and games for an adaptable experience. This approach enhances retention and application of cybersecurity knowledge and skills. It's just like having a toolbox full of options to build a strong foundation of cybersecurity knowledge and skills.

In my experience, people benefits most from Trainings if they are: 1.relevant for them, hence segmented approach 2. Give them context how they can help the company in achieving their goals 3. Are structured in the a way they stick, hence storytelling With this key components, one has a good chance creating a valuable training.

Use what works better for your employees. You should have a good idea of your public, the people who carry your company on their shoulders. Roll out surveys that ask people what they prefer, what methods they use to study. Try things out before you bring about the official training.

Bring the security awareness program to the floor and make it interactive and human. Here are some ideas: Recruit volunteers from various domains, both infosec and non-infosec.?This will help to create a more diverse and engaging program. Design interactive activities, such as quizzes, doodles, and charts.?This will help to keep employees engaged and make the learning more fun. Offer goodies and chocolates as prizes to encourage participation. Tailor the questions to the specific needs of your organization.?This could include questions about security policies, dos and don'ts, organization security leadership, initiatives taken by the CISO team, and how other teams' involvement helps to keep the organization secure.

Agree 100%. For example, your finance department has specific risks that they should be trained that aren’t relevant to the rest of the organization. One such risk is business email compromise which involves a hacker tricking a member of the finance team to transfer funds to a fraudulent account or pay fake invoices. Training the finance team on this specific threat and how to recognize it is vitally important, however, including this in a training for the entire workforce probably won’t be relevant since they would never have the ability to transfer funds or pay invoices. Each department will have specific threats they should be trained on. Ask department heads for input into these specific threats.

Some ways to think about the most risky groups that may need specific targeted learning: - Which group of people has the most privileged access or access to the most sensitive information? (Not just IT admins, but think of business users who can approve transactions, or experts who have strategic insider knowledge) - Which group of people will benefit the most from repeat learning or reminders? (E.g. those who haven't fared so well in their learning or in recent phishing drills) - Which group of people may be the greatest risk of accidental data breach or theft? (This may vary, but consider recent joiners and those who are about to leave the organisation, or think of those who are just starting to work with a new vendor or client)

With customized training it aligns with roles and risks. With this tailored approach it maximizes the relevance and impact of training for each group, improving overall security cybersecurity posture. With customization content it ensures a perfect fit for each role, enhancing security resilience.

Measuring training effectiveness now is vital to ensure it's working. When you gather feedback and metrics helps fine-tune training to be more effective and demonstrates its value to decision makers. This evaluation process ensures that your cybersecurity training remains on the right track for optimal protection.

Listen to your employees and see what they liked and didn't. Let them feel that their opinion is heard and this will encourage them to give feedback in the future. If surveys worked in the past, try them again and make them better. If they are not responding to a certain method try another. Partner with the communications and human resources teams who are better communicators than Information Technology and Information Security professionals.

Employ frequent short training sessions on various topics (selecting those that are most relevant), versus a single annual training. Not only does this keep security top-of-mind in the workforce, but it also enables cybersecurity to select topics that matter at the time.

I think the best way to accomplish all of these items is to use a third party security awareness provider that provides a cloud-based solution. Third party companies will have all of this covered and provide an easy way for your security team to manage all elements of your security training program. As you scale your organization, trying to do this in-house will become too cumbersome and hard to manage.

Security awareness training is one of the most important components of an organization's security framework. To develop an effective security awareness program, consider the following factors: Risk profile: What are the organization's most valuable assets? What are the biggest threats to those assets? Culture: What is the organization's attitude towards security? How receptive are employees to security training? Budget: How much money does the organization have to spend on security training? Upon laying the foundation, we can make it effective by making the content more relevant, engaging, and ongoing for the organization.

Stay Updated: Regularly monitor cybersecurity news and threat intelligence feeds for emerging threats. Feedback Loops: Encourage employees to report new threats or vulnerabilities they encounter. Scenario-Based Training: Use real-world breach examples or simulations to ensure practical learning. Diversify Content: Incorporate various formats like videos, quizzes, workshops, and webinars to cater to diverse learners. Regular Revisions: Update training content semi-annually or annually to reflect the current threat environment. A dynamic, evolving training program ensures your team is equipped to face the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape.