Automation offers the business world a way to take repetitive tasks and speed them up, improving efficiencies and building scalable processes. Automation has also been an essential element of digital transformation, benefiting organisations by enhancing the speed of processes, building collaboration frameworks, and increasing the scale of operations.
A Security Awareness Training program can benefit from automation in the same way that other business processes can. In a world where 82% of cyber attacks start with a human being, automating security awareness programs can help optimise training and reduce cyber-risk.
What Are Automated Training Programs?
When you use the word automation, it may conjure up images of robots. It is true that some types of automation use bots, for example, robotic process automation (RPA), as part of improving digital processes, but many automated training programs still retain a human element.
For example, the World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that by 2025, machines will perform more work tasks than humans. However, the WEF also points out in its “Future of Jobs” report that 94% of business leaders expect employees to pick up new skills during work. This seeming dichotomy provides a perfect platform for automation of certain areas in a business whilst retaining an element of human involvement.
Automated training programs offer a way to build up the workforce’s skills. Automated training programs are an example of human-centric automation. Automated training is based on a platform that delivers the training modules in a scalable, cost-effective, and efficient manner.
For example, a Learning Management System (LMS) manages training components and can handle thousands of employees, automatically delivering training modules to those employees. The LMS also provides metrics and reporting capability so that those managing the training can see how well employees are doing during training sessions. These reports help to monitor and adjust training packages to optimise the program.
Automation of training programs typically starts with a clear goal of what it is you wish to achieve; for example, to ensure that all staff members can spot a phishing email. This is then used as a baseline for delivering the specific modules of a training program to the employees.
Modern, advanced automated training programs are typically delivered using a cloud-based service. Cloud-based platforms allow for easy on and off-boarding of employees, delivery of modules across an expanded and remote workforce, and easy and seamless updating of training modules.
Automated Security Awareness Training and Why You Need it
The human element in a cyber attack continues to be the focus of cybercriminals. Phishing, for example, is a favourite human-centric technique used to steal login credentials and other personal data.
Research from Check Point in its Q1 2022 “Brand Phishing Report” shows how cybercriminals modify their behaviour to evade detection. The Check Point researchers found that trusted brands, such as LinkedIn, Microsoft, and WhatsApp, are increasingly used by fraudsters to trick people into handing over log-on credentials and other personal data.
Fraudsters are always looking for ways to keep their tricks fresh. By changing tactics, they can evade detection and improve their success rate. The problem of enhanced phishing sophistication and other human-focused cyber-threats is that an organisation must remain at the forefront of threat evolution. This takes a lot of work and involves skilled evaluation of the situation.
The bottom line is that a company must focus on its core business, not use precious staff resources to train employees on how to spot a phishing email, not share passwords, and so on. But at the same time, a company must also prevent cyber attacks, which can have a devastating effect on its core business. Squaring this round is achieved using an automated Security Awareness Training program. Automating security training takes the heavy lifting away from an organisation to deliver effective security training.
Automated Security Awareness Training platforms are typically cloud-based. The platform automates the workflow of a security training campaign. The platform will guide your organisation in:
- Setting of security goals
- Deciding on the most appropriate training modules
- On-boarding employees
- Scheduling training sessions
- Delivering training content
- Auditing and reporting of training sessions.
The Benefits of an Automated Security Awareness Training
An automated Security Awareness Training program has many benefits:
Stay Up-to-Date with Human-Centric Threats
The cyber-threat landscape constantly changes; cybercriminals invent new tactics and techniques in an endeavour to cause a malicious incident. Staying up-to-date with this changing threatscape requires time and specialist skills, which most organisations do not have.
An automated Security Awareness Training platform is configured by cyber security specialists and updated regularly to reflect impending threats. A platform such as MetaCompliance will take the heavy work from an organisation when creating and delivering an awareness program by managing the upkeep of the training, including eLearning, policies, phishing simulations and risk assessments.
Always-On Security Awareness
Continuous learning helps build a security awareness culture that delivers benefits in cyber attack prevention. An automated security training platform should offer a “set it and forget it” approach to training. Security awareness becomes a more organic part of the company culture by having an ongoing training program in place.
Continuous learning leads to security-first thinking that helps build an organisation’s strong culture of security. The ultimate benefit of this is seen in the reduction in successful cyber attacks.
Demonstrate Compliance with Data Protection Regulations
Advanced automated Security Awareness Training platforms provide workflow automation. Workflow facilitates regulatory reporting that is used to demonstrate compliance with data protection and privacy laws. When choosing an automated training program, make sure it offers granular reporting functionality and can measure performance that can be used to create actionable insights into the effectiveness of your Security Awareness Training across the organisation.
Allows Your Organisation to Focus on Its Core Business
An organisation needs to focus resources on its core business to maintain a competitive edge. However, cyber attacks add tension to this process. To address security incident disruption and maintain core business focus, an automated Security Awareness Training platform can take the heavy lifting needed to maintain and deliver security training.
Automation can be used to train employees cost-effectively, reliably, and efficiently. Advanced platforms such as MetaCompliance also add fun to the automated system’s training. As cyber attacks continue unabated, automating the training of employees to protect themselves and your organisation against cyber threats helps to redress the balance of cyber threats vs. organisation.
