Security Awareness Training & Testing

Security Awareness Testing and Training is a company-wide initiative which is essential to help employees maintain vigilance against cyber threats. By making sure employees can identify threats, red flags, and are aware of the potential malicious actors, it upholds a minimum standard of security. It is not enough to simply know how to deal with attacks, they should be prevented from occurring in the first place. Your human firewall is the first line of defence in a multilayered cyber security strategy, so you must recognise how to make it as strong as possible.

What does Security Awareness Testing & Training do?

A Security Awareness Testing and Training service provides continuous training to employees, so they are constantly updated on the current threats facing your organisation. Some topics covered include password protection, email, and phishing security; web, and internet security; and physical, and office security.

This is necessary to help employees understand that they are a vital aspect of their company’s security defence. Most breeches occur due to human error, proving that it is an important aspect of security that cannot be ignored.

Why do you need Security Awareness Testing & Training?

After the first full year of training, we have seen an improvement of 82% across all industries. With this level of awareness, employees can prevent attempted phishing and ransomware attacks which is evidenced by employees phish prone percentage decreasing from 33.2% to 5.4%. This is only achievable when security training and testing is repeated regularly. There is a minimum level of awareness that needs to be upkept. Therefore, a constant revising of employee knowledge is necessary.

Data breeches are expensive and create an organisational risk with employees as primary target for threats. To maintain an efficient and empowered workforce, you need to prevent such attacks from occurring in the first place.

It doesn’t matter the size of your organisation; big and small companies alike are susceptible to phishing attacks. Don’t risk tarnishing your brand’s reputation by falling victim to a ransomware. With a strong defence system in place, customer confidence in your brand will improve.

Security Awareness Testing and Training also ensures a level of compliance which is necessary nowadays to remain in accordance with Cyber Insurance policies. Many industry standards now state that organisations must have gone through of security awareness training to be eligible for a claim if they are breeched. If you are seen as a high-risk client, your premiums are also more likely to be higher.

Every employee is responsible for the security of the cyber estate, so it is important that they all assume a mindset of cyber awareness. By implementing a Security Awareness Testing and Training program, your entire workforce is tested, even the IT teams, leaving no stone unturned.

What are the key features of Security Awareness Testing & Training?

Training and Testing
– Schedule security training modules on a wide range of security topics and competency levels.
– Run Phishing campaigns using our extensive real world phishing templates.
– Test users on training to gauge their understanding.
– Schedule tailored reports to provide information on training and phishing campaigns.

Email SOAR
– Empowers users to report suspect Phishing or Spam emails. Once reported, these are scanned and security classified using Machine Learning.
– Reported emails are checked against other mailboxes, quickly identifying whether emails are a one off or part of a targeted campaign.
– SOAR capabilities orchestrate a threat response and manage malicious email messages.
– Sanitise the phishing emails received by your organisation to use as templates for your own phishing simulation.

Security coaching
– Real-time security coaching for users, highlighting risky behaviour in the moment and providing contextual tips and training.
– Reporting on user behaviour, highlighting areas where more training is needed.
– API integration into existing security solutions.

Compliance training
– An enhanced security awareness training & testing service, giving users the latest interactive training, with real-life scenarios to teach users how to respond to challenging situations, compliance, and regulatory requirements.
– Upload pre-existing training into the training suite.

Human-centric cyber security

Despite advancements in security technology, human awareness remains critical. To address its pitfalls, organisations are investing in behaviour-driven security measures, such as behavioural analysis to detect anomalies, AI-powered threat detection, and collaborative security teams.

Human-centric cyber security prioritises human behaviour as both a defence and a vulnerability. By embedding security into workplace culture, it fosters a security-first mindset where people and technology work together to minimise risk. Education, engagement, and behaviour-driven threat prevention ensure security awareness is a long-term priority rather than a compliance checkbox.

A key aspect is adaptable access and authentication controls under the zero-trust model, restricting data access to only those who need it. With human error responsible for most breaches, organisations are increasing investments in staff training to address threats like social engineering attacks, particularly phishing. This training is becoming personalised based on employee behaviour, making awareness efforts more relevant and effective. However, despite the importance of awareness, many employees still neglect required training, highlighting the need for more engaging programs. Advancements in behavioural analytics are enhancing threat detection by identifying unusual activity, adding an extra layer of security beyond traditional defences.

The regulatory landscape is reinforcing the human focus in cyber security. The NIS2 Directive, for example, places personal responsibility on individuals rather than just organisations, making security awareness a crucial aspect of compliance. As AI continues to transform cyber security, companies are realizing the importance of creating a culture where employees feel safe to report security concerns without fear of blame. This shift underscores the growing emphasis on the human element in cyber security, ensuring a proactive and resilient security culture.

Security Awareness Best Practises

A strong security culture is essential in combating evolving cyber threats. Comprehensive education initiatives help employees understand real-world risks and their role in preventing breaches. Integrating cyber security into business risk management ensures awareness starts at the executive level and cascades throughout the organisation.

Cyber security is increasingly seen as a fundamental aspect of business operations, akin to health and safety. Reports indicate that many ransomware incidents stem from poor cyber hygiene rather than advanced attack techniques, reinforcing the need for strong preventive measures. Continuous risk assessments now function like physical safety audits, helping to identify vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience. By embedding cyber security awareness into daily operations, organisations can reduce human-related risks and foster a proactive security culture.

1.Regular and engaging training

Training should be ongoing rather than a one-time event. Short, interactive sessions, containing real-world examples, and gamified learning can help maintain engagement and retention.

2.Personalised and role-based content

Tailor training based on job roles, previous behaviour, and department-specific threats ensures relevance and effectiveness.

3.Simulated phishing and social engineering tests

You should conduct regular phishing simulations to measure employee susceptibility and reinforce awareness. This helps with providing immediate feedback and additional training for those who fall for simulated attacks.

4.Multi-Format Learning

Offer a mix of video tutorials, quizzes, hands-on exercises, and real-life attack case studies. Varying the format prevents training fatigue and caters to different learning styles.

5.Clear Policies and Best Practices

Ensure employees understand company security policies, such as password management, device security, and reporting suspicious activity. Reinforce the importance of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and secure data handling.

6.Behavioural Analytics for Continuous Improvement

Utilise behavioural analytics to track employee responses to threats and adjust training based on patterns. Identifying high-risk users allows for targeted reinforcement.

7.Encourage a Reporting Culture

Create a safe environment where employees feel comfortable reporting potential threats or mistakes without fear of punishment. Recognising and rewarding proactive security behaviour encourages vigilance.

8.Measure and Improve Continuously

Use key performance indicators (KPIs) such as phishing test failure rates, training completion rates, and incident reports to assess effectiveness. As threats emerge, training materials should be updated to reflect these updates.

By integrating these best practices, organisations can build a security-aware workforce that actively contributes to cyber resilience.