- The fast evolution of the cybersecurity landscape requires security training and awareness programs that are frequently updated and improved.
- Security and awareness training programs often fail to engage end users. Lack of engagement can lead to low levels of knowledge retention.
- Irrelevant or outdated training content does not properly prepare your end users to effectively defend the organization against security threats.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- One-time, annual training is no longer sufficient for creating an effective security awareness and training program.
- By presenting security as a personal and individualized issue, you can make this new personal focus a driver for your organizational security awareness and training program.
Impact and Result
- Create a training program that delivers smaller amounts of information on a more frequent basis to minimize effort, reduce end-user training fatigue, and improve content relevance.
- Evaluate and improve your security awareness and training program continuously to keep its content up-to-date. Leverage end-user feedback to ensure content remains relevant to those who receive it.
Develop a Security Awareness and Training Program That Empowers End Users Research & Tools
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should develop a security awareness and training program that empowers end users, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
- Develop a Security Awareness and Training Program That Empowers End Users – Phases 1-2
1. Develop your training program
Create or mature a security awareness and training program that is tailored to your organization.
- Develop a Security Awareness and Training Program That Empowers End Users – Phase 1: Develop Your Training Program
- Security Awareness and Training Program Development Tool
- End-User Security Job Description Template
- Training Materials – Physical Computer Security
- Training Materials – Cyber Attacks
- Training Materials – Incident Response
- Training Materials – Mobile Security
- Training Materials – Passwords
- Training Materials – Phishing
- Training Materials – Social Engineering
- Training Materials – Web Usage
- Security Awareness and Training Vendor Evaluation Tool
- Security Awareness and Training Metrics Tool
- End-User Security Knowledge Test Template
- Security Training Campaign Development Tool
2. Design an effective training delivery plan
Explore methods of training delivery and select the most effective solutions.
- Develop a Security Awareness and Training Program That Empowers End Users – Phase 2: Design an Effective Training Delivery Plan
- Information Security Awareness and Training Policy
- Security Awareness and Training Gamification Guide
- Mock Spear Phishing Email Examples
- Security Training Email Templates
- Security Awareness and Training Module Builder and Training Schedule
- Security Training Campaign Development Tool
- Security Training Program Manual
- Security Awareness and Training Feedback Template
- Security Awareness Month Week 1: Staying in Touch
- Security Awareness Month Week 2: Sharing Special Moments
- Security Awareness Month Week 3: Working and Networking
- Security Awareness Month Week 4: Families and Businesses
Workshop: Develop a Security Awareness and Training Program That Empowers End Users
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Outline the Plan for Long-term Program Improvement
The Purpose
Identify the maturity level of the existing security awareness and training program and set development goals.
Establish program milestones and outline key initiatives for program development.
Identify metrics to measure program effectiveness.
Key Benefits Achieved
Identified the gaps between the current maturity level of the security awareness and training program and future target states.
Activities
1.1 Create a program development plan.
1.2 Investigate and select metrics to measure program effectiveness.
1.3 Execute some low-hanging fruit initiatives for collecting metrics: e.g. create a knowledge test, feedback survey, or gamification guide.
Outputs
Customized development plan for program.
Tool for tracking metrics.
Customized knowledge quiz ready for distribution.
Customized feedback survey for training.
Gamification program outline.
2 Identify and Assess Audience Groups and Security Training Topics
The Purpose
Determine the unique audience groups within your organization and evaluate their risks and vulnerabilities.
Prioritize training topics and audience groups to effectively streamline program development.
Key Benefits Achieved
Created a comprehensive list of unique audience groups and the corresponding security training that each group should receive.
Determined priority ratings for both audience groups and the security topics to be delivered.
Activities
2.1 Identify the unique audience groups within your organization and the threats they face.
2.2 Determine the priority levels of the current security topics.
2.3 Review audience groups and determine which topics need to be delivered to each group.
Outputs
Risk profile for each identified audience group.
Priority scores for all training topics.
List of relevant security topics for each identified audience group.
3 Plan the Training Delivery
The Purpose
Identify all feasible delivery channels for security training within your organization.
Build a vendor evaluation tool and shortlist or harvest materials for in-house content creation.
Key Benefits Achieved
List of all potential delivery mechanisms for security awareness and training.
Built a vendor evaluation tool and discussed a vendor shortlist.
Harvested a collection of free online materials for in-house training development.
Activities
3.1 Discuss potential delivery mechanisms for training, including the purchase and use of a vendor.
3.2 If selecting a vendor, review vendor selection criteria and discuss potential vendor options.
3.3 If creating content in-house, review and select available resources on the web.
Outputs
List of available delivery mechanisms for training.
Vendor assessment tool and shortlist.
Customized security training presentations.
4 Create a Training Schedule for Content Deployment
The Purpose
Create a plan for deploying a pilot program to gather valuable feedback.
Create an ongoing training schedule.
Define the end users’ responsibilities towards security within the organization.
Key Benefits Achieved
Created a plan to deploy a pilot program.
Created a schedule for training deployment.
Defined role of end users in helping protect the organization against security threats.
Activities
4.1 Build training modules.
4.2 Create an ongoing training schedule.
4.3 Define and document your end users’ responsibilities towards their security.
Outputs
Documented modular structure to training content.
Training schedule.
Security job description template.
End-user training policy.