Top 10 Security Awareness Training Challenges and Solutions

This article outlines the top 10 security awareness training challenges and solutions. Businesses are under increased attack with ever more costly outcomes for failure. People are the weakest link. Training and testing them carefully, with automated solutions provide the greatest return on investment.

Hemanth Kumar Hemanth Kumar
Jan 31, 2023 - 12:30
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Top 10 Security Awareness Training Challenges and Solutions
Top 10 Security Awareness Training Challenges and Solutions

Learn the awareness training challenges you face and how to solve them.

Breach numbers grew 41% in 2022 from 2021 with over 422 million impact victims.  With breach statistics climbing every year, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Businesses alike are asking “How do we protect ourselves and our clients?“. To answer that, you need to find the source of the problem. Multiple studies have blamed human error for between 82% and 95% of all breaches. In this article we discuss the Top 10 security awareness training challenges and solutions.

Even though much data has revealed that humans are the weakest link in the cybersecurity breach, it need not be the case. Cybersecurity data breaches caused by humans can be circumvented with the right amount of training and a security-focused culture. - The Role of Human Error in Cybersecurity Breaches

Security Awareness Training (SAT) is more important today than ever before. Businesses will lose over 10 Trillion dollars annually from cybersecurity incidents by 2025. This article explains the top 10 challenges and solutions to conducting user awareness training and testing.  These challenges will focus on four (4) challenge areas: Users, Company, Administration, and Phish Testing. We start with Users.

Training Users can be challenging

User Training Challenges and Solutions

Training users over time can lead to boredom, low compliance, and increased human errors.  Address boredom by mixing up your awareness training with content from multiple sources. Keep content short and focused on single topics; attention spans run short. Remove barriers to accessing training and select a passwordless training solution. Lastly, try not to trick and punish users if they fail; find solutions that engage and enlighten users. Doing so improves user education and knowledge while reducing stress and anxiety.

Companies Challenges and Solutions

Companies have finite time and money to spend on user education. Solutions need to be automated. Automatic delivery of training assignments and tests, as well as automated reminders and escalations to management for non-compliance. Engage all levels of management in seeking high compliance. Use cybersecurity governance policies where technology cannot control behaviors. Users learn and follow best practice requirements via governance policies such Acceptable Use, Password, and Information Handling. Finally, track, share, and continuously improve metrics for policies, phish testing, and training compliance.

Cybersecurity Program Metrics

Administration Challenges and Solutions

SAT admins often face too many choices making setup difficult and time consuming. When your doctor says you need medication for an ailment, do they ask you to pick your medication? Too many solutions take hard to learn, review, and program correctly. Find automated solutions that prescribe a balanced awareness training program eliminating manual effort you don’t have time for, or might get wrong.

MSPs can sometimes struggle with manual invoicing caused by SAT solutions. Consider flat-rate awareness training to simplify monthly billing, reducing errors and saving time.

Phish Testing Challenges and Solutions

Traditional attack-based phishing requires time for SMBs/MSPs to bypass security filters to deliver test emails to inboxes. They suffer from high false negative rates – assuming users who did not click saw the attack email and deleted it. They provide poor metrics for leadership – 4-10% failed the test but 90 – 96% did what?  Punishing users with devious or deceitful embedded phishing attacks can lead to anger, negative consequences (Zurich Study), and harm. Therefore, choose phishing tests that educate and empower users to spot and avoid these attacks. Seek solutions that measure and report on success not failure and you’ll have the most powerful outcome.

Top 10 Training/Testing Challenges:

  1. Boredom
  2. Difficult Access
  3. Time
  4. Low Compliance
  5. Poor Metrics
  6. Lack of Automation
  7. Punishing Tests
  8. Lack of Guidance
  9. Manual Invoicing/Costs
  10. Difficult Setup

Top 10 Training/Testing Solutions:

  1. Multi-Video Sources
  2. Passwordless Access
  3. Limit Assignments to 5 min
  4. Automate Escalations
  5. Score Policy, Video, & Tests
  6. Automate Admin Programs
  7. Use Positive Outcomes
  8. Include Governance Policies
  9. Flat-Rate Solution
  10. Automatic Programming

CyberHoot Eliminates this Friction:

  1. Open Platform (limitless)
  2. Passwordless Assignments 
  3. Short videos/policies/tests
  4. High Compliance
  5. Dashboard Metrics
  6. 100% Automated Offerings
  7. Positive Phish Test Outcomes
  8. Governance Policies Incl’d
  9. Flat-Rate billing Options
  10. Autopilot Programs

Conclusion: Top 10 Awareness Training Challenges and Solutions

As the world becomes more complex and attack-riddled, SMBs and MSPs need to address the weakest link in their cybersecurity programs. Human errors are responsible for the preponderance of breaches.  With the right training and a positive, non-punitive testing program you can change your culture and improve your cybersecurity resilience.  This article discussed the Top 10 security awareness training challenges and solutions so you can choose wisely and reduce or eliminates issues with your SAT program.

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