Leadership & Executive Communication
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Security Awareness Programs & Computer-Based Training
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Training & Security Leadership
Cybersecurity Awareness Programs Need Focus on Human Risk and Changing Behaviors
The dog days of summer seems an odd time to be thinking about fall initiatives. But every October, organizations prepare for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and now’s the time to begin planning. Between the annual phishing simulation and the required compliance training video, the same message circulates throughout the organization: Security is everyone’s responsibility. But if awareness alone produced measurable results, most companies would be hit by far fewer incidents.
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At CyberEd.io, we began planning this year’s initiative with one critical goal in mind: We cannot afford to repeat ineffective practices. A few training videos and simulated phishing emails are not enough. Everyone knows security is a priority, so what are you doing differently? If our goal is to reduce risk, not just meet regulatory expectations, then we need to focus on behavior, not just boxes on a checklist.
Every Employee Is an Endpoint
Security teams invest heavily in tools designed to protect networks, infrastructure and applications. Yet many organizations fail to apply the same level of scrutiny to their people, even though employees often present the most accessible path to compromise.
Consider the sales team. These employees operate across multiple platforms, share links and files with external parties and frequently work from unsecured environments. Finance personnel handle payment systems, invoices and sensitive customer data. Executive teams travel with highly privileged access and limited oversight. Each individual plays a critical role in the business, but few receive targeted training that reflects the unique risks associated with their jobs.
Attackers Target People First
Strategic attackers don’t always begin with a brute-force assault on well-defended systems. Instead, they start by identifying people with access, influence or predictable behaviors. They study organizational charts, apply human communication patterns and create scenarios designed to bypass technology by exploiting human decision-making.
A busy salesperson rushing to join a virtual meeting may not scrutinize an email attachment. A new employee eager to make a good impression may comply with an urgent request that appears to come from an executive. In both cases, it’s behavior – not technology – that determines whether the organization remains secure. Even the most hardened security architecture can’t compensate for a single poor decision made under pressure, in haste or without the benefit of proper context.
You Can’t Manage What You Do Not Measure
Despite frequent acknowledgment that “people are the weakest link,” few organizations invest in meaningful metrics related to behavioral risk. Most programs stop at click rates on phishing simulations or general compliance completion percentages. These metrics fail to capture critical questions, such as why employees fall for particular lures, how different roles vary in risk profile or whether risky behaviors are decreasing over time.
If organizations are not collecting data that answers these questions, they are not managing human risk. They are simply assuming it cannot be managed. Fortunately, that assumption is incorrect. Behavior is observable. It can be influenced, tracked and improved. It just requires a structured approach and sustained attention.
October Should Be a Starting Point, Not a Final Report
Cybersecurity Awareness Month can serve as a valuable moment for reflection, but it must lead to sustained action. Leadership should treat it as the beginning of a longer effort to build a culture that integrates behavioral risk into the organization’s overall security strategy.
At CyberEd.io, we are working to move beyond surface-level awareness campaigns. Our goal is to implement practical and role-specific training. For example, we want the sales team to understand how attackers might use spoofed calendar invites or fake customer inquiries. We want executive assistants to receive real-time guidance on how to validate financial requests. We want IT and security teams to build feedback loops that identify where risk originates and how it manifests across the organization.
Behavioral change doesn’t happen in a single month. It requires a clear plan and the willingness to move beyond outdated assumptions.
The Planning Starts Now, So Aim Higher
Most organizations are beginning to sketch out their Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities right now. This early planning period presents an opportunity to do something more than repeat last year’s checklist. Before you finalize a training video or schedule another phishing simulation, pause and ask whether those activities will truly reduce human risk.
Cybersecurity is not only a technical challenge. It’s also a behavioral one. Unless your security program addresses how people make decisions, respond to requests and interpret risk in real-time, it’s incomplete.
This October, don’t just check the box. Use this planning window to build a more intentional, data-informed and behavior-focused approach. Remember, your security stack is only as secure as your sales team.