Are Your Employees Cybersecurity-Trained?

Earlier in 2025, malicious actors disguised as IT support staff used voice phishing to trick Google employees into accepting a malicious application. This resulted in a data breach, where hackers got their hands on 2.55 million business contacts.

Could Google have prevented the attack? No one can tell. But with better judgment on the part of the employees, the risk could certainly have been minimized.

The fact is, businesses spend millions of dollars each year on their security infrastructure to strengthen their defenses against a rising wave of cyberattacks. But security is not just about the hardware (or the software). There’s an unmistakable human element contributing to organizations’ vulnerability to threats.

According to Mimecast, human error accounted for 95% of the data breaches that occurred in 2024. And 8% of employees made way for 80% of these incidents.

Ultimately, there’s a lot at stake when a business exposes itself to security threats. And it is not just about the company. Others (from customers to business partners and vendors) can be impacted, too, in the event of a breach.

At an individual level, you can read cybersecurity-related articles to build awareness and set up passwords to protect data and devices from a potential attack. However, at an organizational level, there’s much that should be done, especially with regard to cybersecurity training and equipping your workforce with the education to eliminate security mistakes.

Why Is Employee Training Critical for Combating Cyber Threats?

The global annual spending on cyber awareness training is pegged to reach $10 billion by 2027.

Why are more and more businesses prioritizing employee education as part of their cybersecurity strategies?

Reduce Vulnerabilities and Risks

Regular training is crucial for helping teams understand their role in boosting an organization’s security defenses and protecting it from threats.

By giving employees the necessary knowledge, tools, and techniques to identify and respond to cyberattacks, you can effectively minimize the risks arising from preventable human errors.

Regulatory Compliance

In certain industries, cybersecurity awareness is a legal requirement. There are several federal and state regulations that make it mandatory for organizations to educate their employees. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (applicable to the healthcare sector) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (which governs financial institutions) are good examples of this.

Enhance Business Reputation

Taking proactive measures to build a strong security culture reflects positively on your company’s credentials. It signals you are serious about protecting data and mitigating business threats. This could provide a sense of reassurance to your stakeholders (such as customers and investors), giving them greater confidence to continue to engage with your organization.

Be Prepared for Evolving Threats

Cyberattacks don’t remain the same forever. New threats emerge each day, while existing ones evolve rapidly. The development of advanced technologies like AI has also made them more prevalent and harder to detect. But with regular cyber training, your business will be in a better position to tackle them with confidence.

Tips for Creating Cyber Awareness at Your Organization

Security training can be costly. So, you need to ensure you make the most of your investment.

Here are some essential tips to keep in mind when designing cyber education programs for employees.

Customize the Training Content

Of course, training sessions on certain aspects of security, such as managing passwords and identifying phishing, should be targeted at everyone in your organization. However, it is important to consider role-based requirements and other factors, too, when identifying key areas to cover. For example, data security practices should be a primary focus when training staff who have access to sensitive information (e.g., finance teams, analysts, and those handling CRM systems).

Use Interactive Techniques

Boring classroom sessions on cyber awareness can waste your business’s time and money, preventing you from achieving the outcomes you desire.

To make training effective, interactive tools and techniques are imperative. This might mean creating simulations, integrating quizzes, and using visual aids, such as videos. Gamification methods with scores, leaderboards, and awards are also known to enhance engagement and knowledge retention.

Have Regular Sessions

Training must be ongoing to make a real impact. Frequently conducting sessions also makes it clear to staff that cybersecurity is a priority for your business.

Periodic training can focus on reinforcing knowledge (which is crucial for keeping security at the top of your employees’ minds), identifying knowledge gaps (so you can address them without delay), and updating your teams about evolving threats and new tools and techniques available for tackling them.

Make Learning Accessible

Each employee could have their own pace of learning. For some, work schedules can also get in their way, making it difficult to attend workshops conducted using traditional classroom sessions.

So, if you want to ensure your cyber training programs are successful, you must make them more accessible. For example, create flexible training schedules and make learning materials (like videos and handouts) available online.

Get Professional Guidance

Sometimes, your in-house training teams may lack the expertise to develop training materials and programs on cybersecurity. When this is the case, it is important to seek professional support. 

Besides, there could be standardized programs out there designed by others that have already delivered results. And you might be able to quickly tailor them to your organization with minimal cost.

Set Up Policies and Protocols

Before implementing cyber awareness training, you should have standard operating procedures and policies set up for your organization. These must cover the entire gamut of cybersecurity, from data privacy to incident reporting.

They will help communicate your business’s expectations and provide guidance to employees on how to function in compliance with organizational and regulatory frameworks.

To Summarize

Each year, human error accounts for a staggering number of data breaches. This is why organizations globally spend billions of dollars on building cyber awareness among their employees.

A cyber-trained workforce can help reduce risks and business vulnerabilities, comply with applicable regulations, strengthen business credibility in the eyes of your stakeholders, and prepare your organization for future threats.

But remember, cybersecurity training must cover every employee of your company, not just new recruits or those working remotely. Customizing content (based on role, industry, etc.), using interactive techniques, having ongoing sessions, making learning accessible, getting professional input, and setting up policies and protocols are also critical for developing a strong security culture.