Your employees are hesitant about cybersecurity training. How can you get them on board?
Getting employees excited about cybersecurity training can be challenging, but it's essential for protecting your company. Here are some strategies to help you boost their engagement:
What strategies have worked for you in encouraging training participation? Share your thoughts.
Your employees are hesitant about cybersecurity training. How can you get them on board?
Getting employees excited about cybersecurity training can be challenging, but it's essential for protecting your company. Here are some strategies to help you boost their engagement:
What strategies have worked for you in encouraging training participation? Share your thoughts.
-
Personalize Training – Tailor content to employees' roles to make it relevant and practical. Use Microlearning Modules – Short, engaging lessons make it easier to absorb information. Simulate Real Cyber Threats – Conduct phishing tests and hands-on exercises for practical learning. Encourage Peer Learning – Foster team discussions and mentorship for knowledge sharing. Provide On-Demand Access – Allow employees to complete training at their convenience. Tie to Career Growth – Highlight how cybersecurity skills enhance professional value. Foster a Security-First Culture – Keep awareness high with regular tips and leadership buy-in. Use Positive Messaging – Empower employees by showing how training protects both company and personal data.
-
Demonstrate a live example of how easily they can be hacked and the potential consequences—whether it's financial loss, data theft, or reputational damage. Once they see the real risks firsthand, they'll understand the value of cybersecurity training as the ultimate solution.
-
To get them on board, you need to first explain to them about the importance of cybersecurity. This is so that they would be wiling to learn about it. You must also show them real-life examples of the consequences of not having any cybersecurity knowledge. This is so that they would see from your point of view why it's so necessary. You need to then make sure that your training is simplified; that is explained in simple layman terms. This is so that they would be able to understand your training easily.
-
Using role and environment specific training is essential. By directly linking the training to our people's daily activities they are must more likely to 'buy in'. I've used previous scenarios with negative outcomes as the scenario what further enables the lesson identified process beyond a paper exercise.
-
Some ideas Interactive Training: Incorporate interactive elements such as hands-on exercises, simulations, and real-world scenarios. Gamification: Turn the training into a game by creating challenges and competitions. Employees can earn points, badges, or rewards for completing training modules and demonstrating their knowledge. Personalized Content: Tailor the training content to different roles within the organization. Incentives: Offer incentives for participation and completion of the training. This could include small rewards like gift cards, extra time off, or recognition in company communications. Continuous Learning: Foster a culture of continuous learning by providing regular updates and refresher courses.