Top Mistakes to Avoid When Training Staff on Cybersecurity

As technology continues to advance, so do the techniques used by hackers. We must keep up with their evolving strategies to keep our systems protected. To do this, regular cybersecurity training of employees is a must. Studies show that an effective training method can reduce vulnerability to phishing and similar attacks from 60% to 10% within a year.

7 Common Mistakes in Cybersecurity Training

You can do many things to get the most out of each training session. But today, we will focus on what you should NOT do because they are counterproductive to the training. Here are the top mistakes you should avoid.

Boring Training Sessions

If the training comprises text-heavy slide shows with someone just reading out loud, then you can’t blame your employees for nodding off in the first few minutes. Not only will they lose interest, but they will also gain absolutely nothing from the training. Instead, use a more engaging approach. Replace text with visuals. Encourage interactive discussions. Have some group work. 

Same Program for Everyone

In any organization, members have varying skill levels. With cybersecurity, some employees might be more aware of the latest trends. Others might not even know what phishing is. So a one-size-fits-all cybersecurity training program is bound to fail. You need to address everyone’s level and train them accordingly.

One-Time Workshop

Many still believe that compressing all the key learning areas into one big training session will work, but it will not. You can squeeze as much value as possible into a single session, but there should be a follow-up. Better yet, there should be a series of follow-ups. Ongoing reinforcement is one of the best methods for making any lesson stick. 

Focusing on In-Office Cybersecurity Training

Yes, it is important to practice online safety while in the office. But most companies today have employees in a hybrid work setup or working full-time from home. With this being the new norm, the training program must also address mobile security.

Insufficient Leadership Support in Cybersecurity Training

We always say that children emulate the behavior of their parents. The same goes for employees and their superiors. Whatever the staff is learning, the top executives must be as well.

Leaving out Incident Response Training

Prevention is indeed better than cure. However, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about handling cyberattacks when they happen. Employees need to know what actions to take in the event of a data breach to prevent the damage from escalating further.

Lack of Proper Assessment

Cybersecurity training does not end when the facilitator gives their last remarks. You must test the participants on what they have learned with these efficient assessment methods. It could be standard question-and-answer tests or random phishing simulations to check if and how the employees will apply what they have learned. 

Final Thoughts on Cybersecurity Training

Before you take your staff on their next cybersecurity training, keep these mistakes in mind and avoid them at all costs. Plan the training program so it can deliver maximum impact. Better yet, you can use a tried-and-tested program created by established and trusted cybersecurity experts to train your staff. That is something that we can help you with. 

It pleases us to present the latest tool in employee cybersecurity training—our very own microtraining platform. This method tackles all the important aspects of online security, from threat identification to incident response and everything in between. If you are interested in learning more, we have a demo of the platform that you can download by clicking right here.