What Is the Actual Value of Security Awareness Training (SAT)?

Security Awareness Training (SAT) has long been an integral component of organizations' cybersecurity strategies. As we approach the year 2024, many businesses continue to allocate resources for SAT, often driven by compliance requirements. However, the question that lingers is whether the current SAT landscape truly delivers the desired cybersecurity resiliency. To explore this issue, it's essential to understand the need for SAT to evolve beyond mere compliance-driven endeavors. In this article, we'll delve into why SAT needs a transformative shift and how game-based training, as exemplified by Haiku, Inc., is changing the game.

Compliance vs. Effectiveness: The Dilemma of SAT

In many organizations, SAT has become a checkbox item, driven primarily by regulatory compliance requirements. The prevailing sentiment often seems to be, "We do it because we have to, not because it actually makes a difference." This compliance-driven approach has led to an unfortunate reality where SAT often fails to fulfill its true purpose – enhancing an organization's cybersecurity posture.

The Haiku Perspective: A Shift in SAT Paradigm

To understand the need for a transformative shift in SAT, I'd like to cite specific anecdotes from my numerous encounters with CISOs during panel presentations, and their feedback highlights the urgent need for change.

When I've given panel presentations over the last year, I've had at least half a dozen CISOs come up to me afterward and ask if we could take our game-based training approach to SAT training. These CISOs' concerns are strikingly similar – their employees are disengaged and dissatisfied with the current SAT offerings. This feedback underscores the critical gap between the traditional SAT model and the expectations of today's workforce.

The Haiku Approach: Engaging Through Gamification

Haiku, Inc. is at the forefront of transforming SAT through a gamified approach. Recognizing that employees need engaging, practical, and immersive experiences, Haiku's game-based training is designed to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to combat cybersecurity threats effectively.

Unlike traditional SAT modules that employees often passively click through, Haiku's approach fosters active learning. Through interactive games and scenarios, employees gain hands-on experience in identifying and mitigating threats, ensuring that the knowledge they acquire is not just theoretical but also practical.

Haiku uses the best practices of game building to get the user into a "flow state", which according to a McKinsey study increases learning up to 500%. Interactions with other employees for social engineering training also increases the interest level, engagement and learning of the employees.

The Future of SAT: A Paradigm Shift

As organizations strive to enhance their cybersecurity resiliency, they must reevaluate the true value of SAT. Compliance-driven approaches are no longer sufficient in today's rapidly evolving threat landscape. Employees need training that resonates with them, engages their interest, and equips them to be proactive defenders of their organization's cybersecurity.

The journey toward a more effective SAT model begins with recognizing the limitations of current compliance-driven practices. By embracing innovative solutions like Haiku's game-based training, organizations can bridge the gap between training and meaningful impact. Ultimately, the goal is to empower employees to not only understand cybersecurity threats but also to be active participants in safeguarding their organization's digital assets.

In conclusion, the actual value of SAT lies in its ability to enhance cybersecurity resiliency, not merely fulfill regulatory requirements. The time has come for a paradigm shift in SAT, driven by engagement, practicality, and real-world applicability. As organizations embark on this transformative journey, they'll discover that the true value of SAT extends far beyond compliance checkboxes – it lies in creating a cybersecurity-savvy workforce ready to defend against evolving threats.