Challenges to Implementing Security Awareness Training in a Dispersed Organization

Remote working and globally dispersed employees have become normalized over recent years. Before 2020, it was rare for people to work from home. However, working from home and hybrid working is now an accepted part of working life. The dispersed organization is also on the move. A recent report found that 73% of C-suite leaders believe international expansion is important for success.

Over the last few years, cybercriminals have taken advantage of changes in working environments. The exploitation of security gaps that have opened with expanded networks is well-known. Advancements in technologies like email security have kept pace with these changes. However, security awareness training is one key area that must be used to mitigate threats in a dispersed organization.

Here, TitanHQ explores the key challenges in making everyone in the dispersed organization aware of how they can help mitigate security threats.

The Nine Main Challenges of Effective Security Awareness Training

Security awareness is a global requirement for cyber safety. However, ensuring that everyone is synchronized on security awareness presents some key challenges. Here are the nine most pressing challenges that must be faced when building effective security awareness training programs.

Challenge One: Diverse Locations and Time Zones

If your employees work across various geographical locations, coordinating training sessions accommodating different time zones can be a big challenge. For example, live training sessions that fall in time zones outside regular working hours in those areas could result in employees in those locations missing out on critical information.

This challenge is fixed by using asynchronous training modules. These modules are not time-zone dependent, allowing employees to access training conveniently.

Challenge Two: Varying Levels of Employee Technical Proficiency

There’s a good chance that employees within a dispersed organization have varying levels of technical competence; this may affect their understanding of the training material and how to apply that know-how to security issues at work. Tailor-made training content matches the technical proficiency of employees and business groupings to optimize learning outcomes. Also, offering additional support or resources for employees struggling to understand or who are less technically inclined is useful.

Challenge Three: Role Variety

The dispersed company is likely to have a variety of roles. Each role will need tailored security awareness training to address the varying levels of role-based risks. Different needs of roles like administrators, the HR department, Accounts Payable, and the C-Level are targeted by cybercriminals for varying reasons. For example, the C-level and Accounts payable may be more likely targets for Business Email Compromise attacks than HR. By modifying training modules, like simulated phishing campaigns, a dispersed organization can maximize the learning outcomes of each role.

Challenge Four: Employee Engagement

Employees who work remotely or in different locations may need help to connect with their colleagues and the organization. Disconnected employees may show lower participation or engagement with training programs. Also, remote workers may prioritize job tasks over optional training if they don’t realize the training is a priority.

Security awareness training is about changing behavior to build a culture of security. Delivering security awareness training that engages employees, regardless of where they work, is essential. Fun and engaging content must be a priority when delivering effective security awareness training.

Challenge Five: Measuring Effectiveness

Metrics are a core part of effective security awareness training programs. Metrics provide the insight needed to tailor training programs per role or individual basis. Security awareness training solutions must be able to collect metrics across a dispersed employee environment. The results can then adjust training programs across remote and dispersed employees.

Challenge Six: Inconsistent Implementation

Security awareness training must be consistent across the business to ensure that everyone has the same access to training material and campaigns. If the training is inconsistent, employees may miss out on vital education. The result is a mismatch of security awareness skills, leading to ineffective training and risks in areas where the training could have been better.

Automation capabilities in security awareness platforms can help to ensure that training is delivered in a consistent manner.

Challenge Seven: Scalability

Training materials must be adapted to reflect the size and diversity of a dispersed workforce. The work required to modify materials can strain resources, especially for smaller teams managing the training. Security awareness training platforms must be cloud-based to scale as the company grows or contracts. For smaller companies, an MSP can deliver security awareness training, removing the overhead from the company while providing quality security awareness training.

Challenge Eight: Customization for Roles and Risks

Employees in different geographic locations or roles may face distinct cybersecurity threats. Administrators may face targeted spear phishing, and employees who work remotely may be more at risk of social engineering because they are isolated from work colleagues. Tailored content rather than a one-size-fits-all approach is essential to effective security awareness training in the dispersed organization.

Strategies to Overcome Security Awareness Challenges across Dispersed Organizations

The dispersed organization has unique challenges in delivering effective security awareness training. When evaluating a platform to educate your employees to mitigate security threats, no matter where they are based, look for the following features:

• Cloud-based SAT delivers flexible, scalable, and trackable training.
• Awareness training that is engaging and fun is designed using gamification and interactive elements. Content that gels with learners and keeps them engaged gives better results and encourages participation.
• Tailoring content to reflect the different needs of roles and locations is essential in making security awareness effective. Choose a provider with training that can be modified to fit specific roles and regional risks within the organization.
• Regularly monitor and measure training effectiveness with centralized reporting tools. The metrics generated will provide insights into the effectiveness of the training so that modules can be optimized.
• Smaller organizations may need the services of an MSP to deliver security awareness training. Look out for SAT solutions designed for delivery by a managed service provider.
• Preventing human-centric security risks is especially challenging for the dispersed organization. However, with the right security awareness training platform and careful planning considering the challenges of remote working and a dispersed workforce, an organization can implement highly effective security awareness training.

TitanHQ Security Awareness Training is designed for companies with a dispersed workforce. It delivers a 92% drop in phishing susceptibility.

TitanHQ Security Awareness Training offers everything needed to build a security culture, no matter where or how your employees work. Enhance your security culture with phishing scenarios that reflect current threats. Your employees will start thinking about phishing differently.

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