Engage Employees with Interactive and Relevant Training

One of the main reasons why phishing training programs may fail is a lack of engagement. Employees may find the training material dull and uninteresting, leading to them tuning out or failing to retain the information. Training programs should be interactive, engaging, and relevant to the employee’s role to overcome this issue. Instead of relying on static slideshows, companies should consider using gamification, simulations, and real-life examples to help employees understand the impact of phishing attacks on their job and the company.

Tailor Training Programs to Address Specific Types of Phishing Attacks

Most phishing training programs provide generic information on how to recognize phishing attempts. However, phishing attacks continually evolve, and attackers are becoming more sophisticated. To combat this, training programs should address specific types of phishing attacks, such as spear-phishing, smishing, or whaling attacks. Companies can identify the most common types of phishing attacks used against them and tailor their training programs accordingly.

Provide Regular and Ongoing Training

Phishing attacks constantly evolve, and employees must stay up-to-date with the latest threats to identify and avoid them. Instead of offering training programs once a year or on an ad-hoc basis, companies should provide regular and ongoing training. This will help employees retain the information and be better equipped to recognize and report phishing attempts.

Personalize Training Programs

Not all employees have the same level of knowledge and experience regarding phishing attacks. New employees or those who work in roles with access to sensitive data may require more comprehensive training programs. On the other hand, employees with more experience may need more advanced training programs. Personalizing training programs to suit the individual employee’s knowledge and experience level will increase engagement and improve the effectiveness of the training.

Measure the Effectiveness of Training Programs

Finally, to optimize phishing training programs, companies should measure their effectiveness. They can do this by conducting regular phishing simulation exercises to test employees’ understanding and response to phishing attacks. This will help identify areas that require improvement and refine training programs to address those gaps.

In addition to optimizing phishing training programs, companies can complement their efforts with automated detection tools such as those offered by HackerStrike.  It is unrealistic for users to detect the firehose flow of phishing emails as they come in all sorts of forms and methods.  An intelligent, autonomous solution can significantly reduce the threat surface and lower the workload for the user while reducing risk.;

Automated detection tools use various methods to identify and analyze emails and their attachments, including machine learning algorithms, reputation analysis, and URL scanning. When a potentially malicious email is detected, the tool can quarantine or delete it before it reaches the employee’s inbox, preventing them from falling for the attack.

While automated tools can identify and block most phishing attempts, attackers are continually changing their tactics, users still need to be aware of the latest threats and how to identify and report them to help mitigate the risk of successful attacks.