What’s The Best Method For Delivering Security Awareness Training?

From intensive, classroom-based courses, to video libraries, books and endless online resources, security awareness training content can be delivered in almost any format imaginable - we’re living in the Age of Information after all!

Whatever the method of delivery, the principles that underpin the training are broadly the same, and this presents a headache for any organization looking to invest…

“If all of these training resources are built around the same message, which is the best one for my team?”

To answer this, it’s important to start, and finish, at the fundamental objective for undertaking the training - to equip your people with the tools they need to recognize security threats and respond appropriately when they arise.

User Error?

The end user has long been identified as the “weakest link” in an organization when it comes to cyber threats. Unfortunately, Phishing works really well.

Security awareness training is proven to be the most effective way to reduce security breaches, especially those related to Phishing attacks. An automated program can be actioned much faster (and at lower cost) than nearly every other security solution.

The accessibility of security awareness training and its low cost have driven a steep rise in its implementation.

In recognition of its efficacy, compliance bodies across a range of industries have developed requirements for organizations to provide their staff with security awareness training in order to protect their consumers and their supply chain.

Unfortunately, many companies overlook the importance of the training outcome, which is to protect themselves against hackers who are looking to exploit their people, no matter the collateral damage or pain inflicted on the company and their customers.  These knock-on effects can be just as costly as the original breach, especially for municipalities and healthcare organizations (to name just two examples).

When looking at the best method of delivering security awareness training, no matter who the provider is there is one critical outcome: the person taking the training must be able to recall their training, and act on it!

It doesn’t matter whether it's the CEO or the warehouse foreman in front of the screen; you’re only ever one wrong click away from a security breach...

That means the best method of delivering security awareness training is one that your team can remember!

Text vs Video

Consider the below - which you are more likely to give your full attention..

A force-fed 45 minute video presentation or a 5-10 minute interactive slideshow from the comfort of your desk with a short quiz at the end?

Now I have to admit we’ve cheated slightly…

Our organization has a background in applied psychology, so we know the answer.

The clear winner: quick, digestible modules delivered consistently throughout the year.

People are people - they get easily distracted with video content, especially when it runs beyond 10 minutes (being generous!) - there’s simply too much information to absorb and things slip through the cracks…

It’s these knowledge gaps that can lead to trained personnel making costly mistakes.

That’s why INFIMA develops and delivers easy-to-understand, digestible training content that places the most important, factors squarely in its crosshairs…

Key: Absorbing the message and recalling it.

If the key message is lost on the user during training, they don’t take away the key points behind it.

And if the user understood the takeaways, but doesn’t recall them when a phishing email arrives?

Well, that’s a recipe for disaster… and the training has let the user down.

So security awareness training needs to remain consistent but short and sweet to keep users engaged. The consistency ensures it still packs a punch!

With a short quiz at the end of every module, the user only completes the module by showing they were engaged with the content.

By delivering regular training that’s clear, easy to understand and simple to remember, users build a reliable foundation of security awareness.

When this is delivered alongside phish testing, a culture of awareness is created that spreads through entire organizations - one of the most common pieces of feedback we receive is that IT departments have never had so many staff asking them to verify emails!

If users are asking questions, we know they’re paying attention!

Could your organization benefit from a security awareness training program that empowers staff to be proactive about cyber security, from the comfort of their own desk?

Whether IT support is just you or a whole team, INFIMA has a security awareness training program that is proven to keep your people thinking smart when it counts.

Are you ready to take action?
We make it easy to Train your team effectively and easily. Find out how to protect your team with INFIMA's Automated Security Awareness platform.

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