Cybersecurity Training & Awareness

With technology being in a constant state of evolution, the need for updated, well-vetted, and robust Cybersecurity training and awareness programs is paramount to the safety of both businesses and the people who subscribe to their services. Cybersecurity education and awareness help to reduce the risk of human error, as human error is the number one attack vector for incidents and events. The more extensive the security training and awareness programs are, the smaller the attack vector will become, thus minimizing the potential for future attacks. A successful security awareness and training program can take many forms; one such form is fewer employees clicking on phishing links (within a controlled setting).

A company is only as strong as its Security & Awareness Training Program; if the syllabus is not extensive or well vetted, the organization will potentially incur a tarnished reputation and significant financial setbacks. When a security and awareness training program contains an all-encompassing curriculum based on quality control, it decreases security incidents by helping to create a culture of security through teaching how to properly recognize and respond to threats, thus mitigating potential future phishing attempts, data breaches, high costs of repair, downtime, and recovery time (CYBSAFE, 2025) (INFOSEC, 2025) (Keepnet, 2024). A well-vetted security and awareness training program bolsters the company's defensive cybersecurity, improves employee welfare, reassures customers, enhances resilience, provides improved data protection, lowers costs, and supports the compliance of HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO 27001 regulations (CYBSAFE, 2025) (Keepnet, 2024) (INFOSEC, 2025). With ongoing security and awareness training, employees gain a deeper understanding of the role they play in protecting and securing the corporation's digital assets (INFOSEC, 2025).

When it comes to an organization's digital assets, the number one attack vector for security-related events and incidents is human error, which is why the number one infection vector is phishing attacks, making up 95% of cyber-attack incidents (Crumb, 2025). The most commonly seen phishing attacks are email phishing, spear phishing, vishing (voice phishing), and smishing (SMS phishing) (Crumb, 2025). Out of the previously mentioned phishing attacks, email phishing is the largest attack vector as it is dependent upon human error (Kost, 2025). These types of phishing attacks frequently create fake emails that appear as if they are sent from a reputable source (like from within the company or a partner company), to steal valuable data and install malware (Crumb, 2025). Spear phishing is employed by malicious actors who perform reconnaissance to optimize their chances of coming across as trustworthy through personalization of the message (Crumb, 2025). Many phishing threats must contain a human element to make the ruse believable; due to this requirement, 74% of data breaches typically involve some aspect of social engineering (Kost, 2025). Vishing (voice phishing) is phishing that occurs with the use of a phone call (Kost, 2025). Threat actors call claiming to be from a government agency (i.e., Social Security, the IRS, etc.), banks, churches, tech support, and many more, to pressure the caller into giving up precious personally identifiable data they can steal (Crumb, 2025). Smishing (SMS phishing) is phishing that occurs via text messages by requesting personal and/or identifiable data (Crumb, 2025). Another form of smishing occurs when a threat actor sends a text message including a malicious link to an unsuspecting victim, once the recipient clicks on the link, the threat actor then gains access to the device (Crumb, 2025). In 2019, 90% of data breaches were directly connected to human error, which is why a robust security education and awareness training program is essential for any company (Kost, 2025).

With phishing and data theft being among the most predominant human error-related threats utilized by malicious actors, a security education and awareness training program, if well vetted, has the capacity to significantly lower the company's cyber threat risk (Miller, 2024). An employee who has obtained proper training is less likely to succumb to a phishing attack, builds stronger passwords, has improved incident response time, and strengthens security culture among the employees (Miller, 2024) (Keepnet, 2024). A recent study showed that organizations experienced a 40% decrease in the number of malicious links clicked by users when Security Awareness was utilized (poofpoint, 2025). Research has shown that upwards of 80% risk can be mitigated through a robust security education and awareness program, with half of the employees who received the training reporting valid threats within six months, and two-thirds of employees reporting valid threats within one year of the concluding training (poofpoint, 2025).

If I were to create a security awareness and training program, it would be important to include training on ransomware, phishing, vishing, smishing and mobile security (if company phones are provided), malware, social engineering, artificial intelligence's roll in both creating malware and social engineering, creating strong passwords, safe web browsing techniques, cybersecurity for remote workers, and incident response. Social engineering and phishing simulations within a controlled setting are a critical facet of any security and awareness training program, as it subjects employees to phishing emails within the work environment without creating damages to the organization (Byrd, 2023). Through this training, employees gain a better understanding of phishing emails, vishing, and smishing, thus allowing for the employees to recognize these threats in the future. They will also learn the proper protocol for incident response, ultimately shortening the time between incident and response (Byrd, 2023). With repeated controlled phishing tests, the company has the capacity to decrease vulnerability quotients from 30% to 2–4% (Bloxberg, 2018–2025). Password training is equally as important for every business, especially where more than 103 million people globally are still utilizing "123456" as their password, showing the dire necessity for password security training (Kost, 2025). Due to unknown vulnerabilities, it is crucial to include malware, ransomware, artificial intelligence, and web browser training, as malware and ransomware can also be distributed throughout the network via malicious links and downloadable content in addition to phishing attempts. When accessing downloadable content and URL links, especially from within the company office or working remotely, it is recommended to utilize tools such as VIRUSTOTAL, especially if the workers are remote and utilizing their personal network for business purposes.

A successful employee education and training program should be measured by Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as controlled phishing testing success rates and increased accuracy on incident reports (Miller, 2024). When KPI metrics are used, areas of concern within the organization can be identified, thus allowing for improvement and additional training if necessary (Miller, 2024). A well vetted and robust employee education and training program has the capacity to minimize data breaches caused by human error and should be offered as a role specific training course, as some roles may be more likely to incur certain malicious attacks than others, therefore safeguarding the organization's employees to be appropriately prepared for the cyber threats they may face in their role (Miller, 2024).

Given the constant state of evolution among the digital age, the need for employee cybersecurity training is at an all time high. Since human error is the number one attack vector, a robust employee education and training program vital for any business. Through helping employees to understand the role they play within the organization's cybersecurity defense team, the organization is setting up a culture of security within the company. With proper employee education, companies can exponentially minimize their risk while protecting their business, employees, and the clients who subscribe to their services.

References

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Byrd, P. (2023, December 07). 14 Security Awareness Topics (Updated for 2024 to Include AI). Retrieved August 12, 2025, from Hook Security: https://www.hooksecurity.co/blog/cybersecurity-awareness-topics#:~:text=What%20Should%20Your%20Security%20Awareness,ongoing%20risk%20in%20your%20company.

Crumb, P. (2025, July 30). Phishing Attack Statistics (2025): Shocking Trends, Facts & Cybersecurity Insights. Retrieved August 14, 2025, from Compare Cheap SSL: https://comparecheapssl.com/phishing-attack-statistics-shocking-trends-facts-cybersecurity-insights/#:~:text=Conclusion:%20What%20These%20Phishing%20Stats,tools%2C%20and%20clear%20company%20policies.

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