Security Awareness Training Software

With the rising number of cyberthreats, it has become crucial for businesses to equip themselves with the right tools for information security to combat cyberattacks.

Businesses also need to prepare their employees with security awareness training. While tools can help keep cyberattacks at bay, the right training will ensure that your employees are not falling victim to any such attacks.

This training is designed to help employees understand the role of the human element in helping combat information security breaches. The right security awareness training will help employees maintain cyber-hygiene, identify cyberattacks, and mitigate risks.

Security awareness training software is based on a learning management system (LMS) that offers training materials, realistic phishing simulations, and live or recorded teaching. Plus, vendors evolve their teaching methodology and phishing simulations based on the current trends to provide up-to-date training.

In this buyers guide, we will explain what security awareness training software is, its common features, and some considerations to help you make informed purchase decisions and stay updated with the latest trends.

Here's what we'll cover:

• What is security awareness training software?
• Common features of security awareness training software
• What type of buyer are you?
• Benefits of security awareness training software
• Key considerations when selecting security awareness training software
• Market trends to understand

What is security awareness training software?

Security awareness training software is a tool that helps businesses stay on top of the fundamentals of cybersecurity to safeguard themselves against cyberattacks. It offers a centralized platform to have an interactive learning experience on security awareness and understand the best practices to avoid a phishing attack or a social engineering cyberattack.

The software can help conduct a formal security awareness program to train users on ways to secure sensitive data and respond to cyberthreats such as malware, phishing emails, identity theft, ransomware, and more. This is done through simulated phishing attacks, assessments, and other interactive learning content.

Security awareness training software can be used by any size business to equip themselves with the right skills and information, ensuring cybersecurity and minimizing risks.

Content library in ThreatCop (Source)

Common features of security awareness training software

Security awareness training software is a tool to train and assess the users’ security readiness. This is possible with the following features.

Gamification	Enhance learners’ motivation and results through progress reports and interactive learning.
Content library	Delve into a library of learning material based on real-world threats to explore training modules, assessments, and more.
Simulated threat attacks	Combat a phishing attack, ransomware, malware, cyberattack, social engineering attack, and more with simulated phishing assessments.
Customizable reports	Schedule automated customized reports for stakeholders, giving an insight into training progress and security readiness.
Progress tracking	Track users’ progress on security training modules and assessments to understand security readiness and accountability.

What type of buyer are you?

Most users of security awareness training software belong to the following two types of buyers:

• Small and midsize businesses: Small and midsize businesses have smaller teams and projects, but are still at risk for cyberthreats. These buyers can leverage the huge content library offered by the security awareness training software to delve into the details of cybersecurity including its importance, risks, and types and can take regular assessments to check their readiness.
• Enterprises: Enterprises work with comparatively big teams and coordinate with offices in different locations. They have a variety of data, which they need to protect from cyberattacks. Utilizing the customization features of the security awareness training software can work the best for enterprise level buyers. They can get training based on specific industry-related security requirements, to cater to a variety of data and information.

Benefits of security awareness training software

Here are some key benefits of security awareness training software for your business:

• Increase staff knowledge of risks, threats, and controls: Security awareness training software offers an intensive training module that teaches users to efficiently spot and report cyberattacks. The learning module also includes phishing simulators that send phishing emails from time to time to check the users’ security readiness. This makes it a complete, collaborative approach to cyberattack defense.
• Minimize the cost and effort of individual training: The software makes it easy for a business to provide training to multiple users at once. It also allows automating the annual security awareness training program, all to reduce the cost and effort of individual training and regular follow-ups on its completion.
• Get comprehensive progress reports: With features like customized reports that can be scheduled to automatically deliver to different stakeholders, the software makes it easy to go through the users’ training progress and analyze the effectiveness of the training module.
• Reduction in cyberattacks: The use of security awareness training software can help mitigate the risk of security breaches and keep cyberattacks like phishing at bay. Its huge content library along with a phishing simulator and regular assessments cover every aspect of cyberthreats and countermeasures to help stay on guard.

Key considerations when selecting security awareness training software

The following key considerations will ensure that the software is a perfect fit for your business.

• Regular updates: Hackers evolve with rapid technological changes and so should business security training. That being said, it is important for you to select a security awareness training software that regularly updates its training module on the basis of the latest cybersecurity trends.
• Interactive learning: Interactive learning translates to longer retention, as users can relate the learning module to their work and apply the principles in real-world scenarios. This enhances the effectiveness of the cybersecurity training as well as the learning experience.
• Simulated testing: Real-world testing mechanisms such as simulated phishing attacks test users’ readiness for cyberattacks without letting them know that it is just a test. This can be done in the form of phishing emails and text messages. In case a user fails, they are asked to take the training again.
• Remote access: Having remote access to the security awareness training software provides an uninterrupted training process for workers in different locations.

Market trends to understand

• Increased security threats due to remote work: With the digital workplace becoming a standard part of business culture, cybercriminals are increasing their efforts to exploit remote workers. This means that it is high time for everyone in the digital workplace to strengthen their data security, which will help mitigate the risk of cyberattacks and security breaches. While the current security training practices are considered to be effective, vendors are working towards generating more intelligent security techniques that businesses will soon get to put into practice.

Note: The application selected in this guide is an example to show a feature in context and is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation. It has been taken from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.