Phishing remains a critical cybersecurity threat. In 2020, the FBI reported that phishing was the most common type of cyber attack. Human error plays the largest role in modern cyber incidents, making employee education essential for organizational security.
Key Training Components
Phishing Campaigns
Organizations should implement recurring simulated phishing email campaigns to test user awareness. These campaigns should vary in approach to effectively train employees:
- Different sending sources - Use both internal departments and external companies as apparent senders
- Varied manipulation tactics - Include urgency-based scenarios, prize-based lures, and other social engineering techniques
- Regular schedule - Conduct campaigns consistently with monitoring and reporting
- Remedial training - Provide additional education when users click malicious links
Simulated phishing campaigns help identify vulnerable employees and reinforce training while creating a measurable security awareness baseline.
New Hire and Annual Training
Structured training programs should cover essential security topics:
- Phishing identification - How to recognize and report suspicious emails
- VPN usage - Proper use of virtual private networks for remote access
- Password security - Creating strong passwords and using password managers
- Secure communication practices - Safe handling of sensitive information
Training content should align with company policies and relevant regulatory standards to reduce click-through risks substantially.
Additional Recommendations
Beyond user training, organizations should implement continuous security monitoring through:
- Vulnerability management - Regular scanning and remediation of security weaknesses
- Penetration testing - Simulated attacks to identify exploitable vulnerabilities
- Risk assessments - Comprehensive evaluations to identify critical assets, vulnerabilities, and controls
Conclusion
An effective security awareness program combines simulated phishing campaigns with structured training to create a security-conscious workforce. When combined with technical controls and continuous monitoring, user education significantly reduces the risk of successful cyber attacks against your organization.