Cyber Awareness Training
Our cyber awareness training programs are designed to equip your employees with the knowledge and skills needed to recognise and respond to cyber threats. Through engaging and comprehensive training methods, we help foster a security-conscious culture that mitigates the risk of human error which is the leading cause of cyber incidents.
On this page
Secure your business.
Elevate your security, accelerate your growth. We take care of cyber security for high-growth companies, at every stage of their journey.
Get in Touch
What is Cyber Awareness Training
Cyber awareness training refers to an educational program designed to teach employees how to identify, prevent, and respond to potential cyber threats. This type of training covers essential topics like phishing awareness, secure data handling, password management, and safe browsing habits.
Many reports highlight the significance of such programs. For instance, 82% of breaches in 2022 involved human elements, such as social engineering or misusing access credentials, according to the Verizon 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report. This statistic underscores the importance of maintaining awareness of evolving cyber threats.
Challenges address by Cyber Awareness Training
Human Vulnerabilities
Humans are naturally unpredictable and can be easily manipulated if they haven’t been trained. This makes it much more likely that an organisation will suffer a cyber-attack. Most attacks target individuals, not just systems, so it’s important for employees to be trained to spot phishing emails, suspicious attachments, and unsafe links. This training helps reduce the risk of data leaks and unauthorised access.
Evolving Cyber Threats
The frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks are increasing. Training programs that keep employees updated on the latest attack vectors such as AI-powered attacks, deepfake scams, and supply chain compromises are essential for organisations to adapt quickly to new challenges.
Compliance Requirements
In sectors with strict regulations, like healthcare and finance, it’s often required to have cyber awareness programs to meet laws such as GDPR or HIPAA. Regular training helps employees understand and adhere to data protection standards, ensuring compliance and safeguarding sensitive information.
Measuring Security Awareness Levels
It can be tough to gauge how well employees grasp and apply cyber security practices. Without the right metrics and evaluation tools, it’s hard to tell if training is effective or if staff are truly ready to handle cyber threats. To address this, regular assessments, simulations, and feedback are essential for checking the impact of training and ensuring that employees are well-prepared to tackle security risks.
What Our Clients Say
Benefits of Cyber Awareness Training
Our cyber awareness training provides a flexible and tailored approach to fit your organisation’s needs. Through continuous learning, interactive scenarios, and role-specific instruction, we help ensure that your employees are well-prepared to handle cyber threats effectively.
Reduced Risk of Cyber Incidents
Training employees to recognise and respond to cyber threats can significantly lower the chances of expensive data breaches. A recent report from IBM highlights that organisations with cyber awareness programs saved an average of $1.49 million in breach costs compared to those lacking such programs.
Stronger Security Culture
Training builds a culture where cyber security is integral to everyday work. It helps employees follow security policies and contribute to a safer digital environment. When done correctly, the culture can slowly be shifted from cyber security being viewed as predominantly ‘policing’, more towards it ‘enabling’ business activities.
Staff Feel Supported
Being the victim of a scam, inadvertently losing company money or causing a data breach at work can be extremely emotionally distressing for the individual involved. Training and awareness activities importantly protects employees’ well-being by reducing the risk of experiencing harrowing cyber security incidents, ensuring both their wellbeing and the organisation’s security.
Secure your business.
Elevate your security, accelerate your growth. We take care of cyber security for high-growth companies, at every stage of their journey.
Get in Touch
Case Study: UK Insurance Firm
Client Challenge
A small but fast growing UK insurance services firm experienced a significant rise in phishing attacks and social engineering attempts, leading to compromised accounts and financial losses. The client recognised a critical need to enhance their employees’ understanding of cyber threats and cultivate a culture of vigilance.
Our Approach
To tackle this, we implemented a Cyber Training and Awareness Programme, designed to garner long-term behavioural change from staff and to start improving resilience against human based cyber threats. Our approach included:
- Cyber Cultural Change Expert: Delivered strategic oversight, identifying key areas of risk and ensuring the programme aligned with business objectives.
- Role-Specific Training: Developed and conducted engaging, scenario-based training sessions for high risk roles such as software engineers and executives.
- Quarterly Phishing Campaigns: Conducted realistic phishing simulations to gauge the organisation’s susceptibility to attacks and reinforce learning.
- Face-to-Face Workshops: Hosted regular workshops focusing on the latest threats, using real-world examples to make the training relatable.
- Gamified eLearning: Sourced and implemented fun, gamified e-learning courses to keep employees engaged and encourage ongoing participation.
Value Delivered
Reduced Incidents
The number of successful phishing attacks decreased by 72% within six months.
Enhanced Awareness
Staff demonstrated improved recognition of cyber threats, leading to faster reporting and mitigation of incidents.
Cultural Change
A proactive security culture was cultivated, with employees taking ownership of their role in protecting the organisation.
Who Needs Cyber Awareness Training
- Small to Medium-Sized Businesses (SMBs):
SMBs often lack the budget to invest in high-end security solutions but still need to protect against cyber threats. Cyber awareness training provides them with a cost-effective way to reduce the risk of internal security breaches. - Organisations with Regulatory Compliance Requirements:
Industries such as finance, healthcare, and education are often required to conduct regular security training for employees. Cyber awareness training ensures compliance with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. - Growing Companies with Expanding Teams:
Companies undergoing rapid growth can benefit from consistent and scalable security training to keep new employees informed and security conscious as the organisation evolves.
Who doesn’t need Cyber Awareness Training
Almost everyone, including CISOs, cyber security professionals, and executives, would benefit from cyber awareness training. However, budgets constraints can often get in the way of implementing a control to its fullest extent and so there are a few user groups who you might be able to exclude if this is the case.
- External Contractors
Training for external contractors can often be left to be managed by their employers. If contractors handle IT resources or sensitive data, you may want to include them in your own training as you cannot guarantee the quality and extent of their own. - Offline Roles
Employees who do not use IT systems or sensitive paper-based information may not need in-depth cyber awareness training.
Our Approach to Cyber Awareness Training
At CyPro, we follow a structured and results-driven approach to deliver cyber awareness training. Our methodology ensures that the training is relevant, engaging, and impactful for all levels of your organization.
Tailored Training Programs
We design custom training programs that address your industry-specific risks and business requirements. Whether it’s phishing prevention or GDPR compliance, our training is aligned with the challenges your employees are most likely to encounter.
Interactive Learning
Our training combines interactive learning modules with real-life scenarios, ensuring that employees can actively apply the lessons learned. Through quizzes, simulations, and role-playing exercises, participants are more engaged and retain critical information.
Phishing Simulations
Phishing attacks are one of the most common cyber threats. As part of our program, we conduct phishing simulations to test employee readiness and improve their ability to spot suspicious emails, links, or requests.
Compliance-Driven Modules
Our training includes modules specifically designed to meet industry regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. We ensure that your staff understands the compliance requirements relevant to your industry, minimizing the risk of costly breaches.
Reporting and Analytics
We offer comprehensive and transparent reports regarding your employees’ performance in training. This helps track engagement, pinpoints areas that require improvement, and makes sure your team is current with standards for security.
Remote Learning Options
With more employees working from home, we can offer flexible and easily accessible online training sessions. Our e-training modules have been designed to be just as engaging and effective as face-to-face training sessions.
Secure your business.
Elevate your security, accelerate your growth. We take care of cyber security for high-growth companies, at every stage of their journey.
Get in Touch
Your Team
Rob McBride
Rob leads our Cyber-Security-as-a-Service offering at CyPro and is a highly experienced CISO. Starting his career with a successful tenure at Deloitte, Rob has since built a distinguished career in cyber security, notably advising multinational corporations on their cyber resilience and leading security initiatives for financial institutions.
At CyPro, Rob leverages his extensive experience as a CISO across multiple industries including finance, telecommunication, travel, manufacturing, and energy. He is passionate about empowering small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with cutting-edge cyber security solutions to safeguard their operations and drive sustainable growth.
Rob’s expertise and strategic vision are instrumental in delivering tailored, comprehensive security services to our diverse client base.
Additional Consultants
Jamie is a distinguished executive-level CISO with a wealth of experience, having held prominent positions at Thomas Cook, Centrica, Bupa, and Allianz.
He is passionate about revolutionising the cyber security industry through innovative approaches that maximise value from limited budgets.
Jamie excels at empowering businesses and individuals to thrive while safeguarding their assets, reputation, and customers. His strategic vision and dedication make him a pivotal part of our Cyber Security as a Service team.
Paul is an experienced digital transformation leader with a strong background in technology strategy, cyber security, and change management. His career spans multiple industries, where he has successfully driven large-scale IT initiatives and security enhancements. With a focus on aligning technology solutions with business objectives, Paul has been pivotal in helping organisations navigate complex digital challenges and improve operational efficiency. His leadership in cyber security strategy and risk management has made him a trusted advisor in the field, dedicated to building resilient and secure technological environments.
Matthew is a Knowledge Management Specialist with extensive experience in information security and risk management. He is dedicated to fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration, ensuring that best practices in cyber security are effectively communicated and implemented across organisations. With a strong background in strategic and operational disciplines, Matthew excels at developing frameworks that facilitate the capture, storage and dissemination of critical knowledge related to cyber security threats and solutions.
His strategic vision and commitment to continuous improvement empower clients to stay ahead of evolving threats while maximising their cyber security investments.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Cyber Awareness Training?
Cyber awareness training educates employees about cyber security threats, social engineering tactics, and best practises. This training aims to reduce security risks by transforming employees to recognise and respond effectively to cyber threats. It covers essential topics such as: phishing prevention, password security, safe email usage, device security, and data privacy.
- Why is Cyber Awareness Training Important for Employees?
Cyber awareness and cyber security training is important as human errors are a leading factor in security breaches. Employees who are aware of threats and are trained to handle them are less likely to mishandle sensitive data or fall for phishing scams. This training also helps companies meet regulatory compliance, like HIPPA and GDPR, which often mandates employee education on cybersecurity.
- How Often Should Cyber Awareness Training be Conducted?
Training programs range from one-time sessions to ongoing training. Many organisations hold regular training sessions, supplemented by regular phishing simulations and refresher models. This reinforced learning ensures continuous improvement in employee cyber awareness habits.
- How Can the Effectiveness of Cyber Awareness Training be Measured?
Organisations use various metrics, such as the reduction of phishing clicks, completion rates of training modules, and assessments post-training. Many programs have targeted improvements, and focused follow-ups with employees.
Top 10 Free Cyber Security Tools for SMBs in 2024Introduction With the frequency and sophistication of cyber attacks continuing to rise, it’s essential for business owners, IT professionals, and…
How Much Does a Virtual CISO Cost in 2024?Many CxO’s, founders and established IT professionals struggle to get clarity on how much a vCISO service costs and the…
- Expert Guide to Technical Due Diligence for Startups
Unlock the secrets of technical due diligence for startups. This guide covers everything from assessing IT infrastructure to ensuring robust…
Secure. Scale. Succeed.
We handle your cyber security so you get your time back and focus on growth.
