Cybersecurity Training for Remote Employees

A dilemma every CISO faces, and the one that led to OutThink’s founding: How do you balance the need for cybersecurity awareness with cybersecurity fatigue? For a long time, the ‘solution’ was to either try not to overload employees (and therefore under-train them) or to simply insist full training is completed regardless (meaning employees will disengage, default to click-through behaviour and retain very little). But the answer is not how much training you give to your employees – it’s how little and how you present it. If employees are given relevant, role-based training, they are far more likely to engage and willing to take in information. That means deploying an intelligent, adaptive security awareness training tool that takes its intended audience into account instead of being one-size-fits-all. That means taking into account the role, level of knowledge, digital literacy and risk understanding of your audience, and not giving people training that is too basic or too advanced. It means understanding that people don’t want to be talked at. They want to be engaged!

Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT issue—it's everyone's responsibility. Here are the best practices for training your employees to stay secure: 🔸 Start with the Basics Ensure all employees understand common threats like phishing, malware, and social engineering. 🔸Make Training Ongoing Cyber threats evolve, so should your training. Regular sessions keep employees updated on the latest risks. 🔸Use Real-World Scenarios Simulate phishing attacks and other threats. Practical exercises help employees recognize dangers in real-time. 🔸Tailor Training to Roles Different departments face different risks. Customize training for each role to make it relevant. 🔸Foster a Security-First Culture Encourage employees to report suspicious activities and promote a culture where security is prioritized. 🔸Test and Reinforce Knowledge Conduct periodic tests to assess knowledge retention and reinforce key lessons. Investing in employee training is key to building a human firewall. Strong defenses start with well-informed teams!

Humans are the #1 attack vector. Always have been. Always will be. It’s Karen in accounting clicking on a fake invoice. It’s Steve in sales handing out sensitive info over the phone. Yet, most companies rely on canned security trainings. Boring. Forgettable. Just checking a compliance box. That doesn’t work. The key to effective cybersecurity training is engagement. Use live team exercises, prizes, and frequent sessions to keep people involved. Show them that cyber attacks can threaten their jobs. Make training relevant to your business and go beyond phishing (cover social engineering and other real threats) Better security training = fewer breaches = less stress for you.