3 Considerations Before Choosing Awareness and Phishing Training

Awareness and phishing training has today become an integral part of safeguarding Danish businesses against cyberattacks. However, what key factors should you consider before implementation, and how can you ensure that the training transcends a mere checkbox exercise to genuinely enhance your security culture?

Here are 3 crucial considerations and additional advice to help you plan or refine your training program.

1) What is the objective?

Begin by clearly defining the rationale behind implementing Awareness and phishing training.

For many, the primary objective is to mitigate the risks of phishing attacks and data breaches – currently among the most significant threats to Danish businesses. Indeed, statistics from IT-Branchen indicate that 17 % of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Denmark have already experienced cyberattacks, with up to 60 % of affected businesses facing potential bankruptcy following a major incident.

Concurrently, it may be a requirement from your cyber insurance, or an emerging mandate from the NIS2 Directive and the DORA Regulation. Regardless, it is crucial to articulate to employees why this is beneficial – as it facilitates broader engagement and fosters a shared focus.

2) Tailor the training to your daily operations – and ensure phishing training is relevant

Awareness and phishing training must always align with your organization and the reality of your employees. Consider:

• Who should receive the training?
  Is it all employees, or only those who handle sensitive data?
• How much time do they have?
  Short videos of 3-5 minutes are often most effective – as they are easy to grasp and retain.
• How do they learn best?
  Should it be videos, short assignments, or realistic phishing simulations?

This is particularly crucial for phishing training: utilize examples that individuals can recognize from their daily routines. Many SMEs, for instance, employ weak passwords (according to SikkerDigital, a staggering 60% of companies currently use weak password policies). Phishing simulations can effectively demonstrate how this vulnerability can be exploited by attackers – and how employees can enhance their ability to identify warning signs.

3) Establish it as a continuous process – and follow up

Awareness and phishing training is not a one-off solution. It is a continuous process that must be maintained and adapted to the evolving threat landscape.

What practical measures can be implemented?

• Track who has completed the training – and who still needs to.
  This can be managed with a simple spreadsheet or a learning management system.
• Utilize landing pages and constructive feedback.
  When conducting phishing simulations, you can, for instance, direct employees to a dedicated page that explains it was a test – and provides 10 quick tips for identifying phishing attempts in the future. This fosters a safe environment for learning from mistakes.
• Analyze the results and leverage them proactively.
  How many clicked on a phishing link? How many reported the email as suspicious? Use these metrics to refine and enhance the training – and to increase its relevance for future iterations.

By implementing this approach in a supportive and educational manner – rather than as a compliance audit – you simultaneously strengthen the security culture. When employees perceive that it is acceptable to make mistakes and learn from them, sustaining engagement becomes significantly easier.

Additional Advice: Keep it Concise and Practical

Lengthy or generic training can quickly become a barrier for employees – especially amidst a busy workday. Therefore, utilize short, practical videos and concise tasks that can be completed at their convenience during the workday. Phishing simulations are most effective when they are realistic and reflect the actual challenges your organization faces.

Practical Checklist

Here is a checklist you can use when planning or evaluating your Awareness and phishing training:

✔ Do you have a clear purpose for the training?

✔ Do the content and format suit employees' daily routines?

✔ Are the phishing simulations realistic and relevant?

✔ Do you manage follow-up and documentation effectively?

✔ Is the content concise and specific – making it easy to integrate into a busy workday?

Supplementary data and insights

• SMVdanmark: Cyber threats against Danish businesses
• SikkerDigital: IT security in small and medium-sized enterprises
• The IT Industry Association: SMEs Lack Cybersecurity
• Center for Cybersecurity: Guidelines

Ready to take the next step?

We hope this blog post has provided you with inspiration and practical advice that you can utilize – whether you are ready to commence now or prefer to defer.

We recognize that awareness and phishing training can be a crucial first step towards fostering a robust security culture – and that allocating the necessary time and resources can be challenging. When you are prepared, we are ready to assist in making this process straightforward and manageable.