The Role of Security Awareness Training in User Protection

From deepfake scams to credential theft, cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics to exploit human vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, those tactics are successful far too often. Mitigating user-related risk is a critical component of a robust defense against cyberthreats. To accomplish that objective, IT professionals must implement a comprehensive user protection strategy that combines advanced technologies with a variety of proactive measures — and employee education is the key to transforming users from security vulnerabilities into security assets.

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What is a user protection strategy?
A user protection strategy in cybersecurity encompasses a multifaceted approach to protecting individuals (users) within an organization from cyberthreats like phishing, malware and social engineering attacks. This strategy includes a variety of components that improve a company’s ability to prevent, respond to and recover from people-based cyberthreats. The components of a user protection strategy may vary based on a company’s needs, but there are a few commonalities found in most plans.
- Security awareness training: Educating users on recognizing and avoiding common threats.
- Phishing simulations: Conducting practice exercises to test and improve users’ ability to identify phishing attempts.
- Strong authentication measures: Implementing tools like multifactor authentication (MFA) to add layers of protection.
- Clear policies and procedures: Establishing and communicating guidelines on safe practices, such as handling sensitive data or reporting suspicious activity.
- Continuous monitoring: Using security tools to detect and respond to suspicious user activity in real-time.
- Access controls: Limiting user access to only the data and systems necessary for their role, minimizing potential damage from breaches.

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Training is the foundation of a strong security culture
Employee understanding of best practices and correct procedures is the bedrock of a culture of security. However, many companies struggle in this area. In the Kaseya Cybersecurity Survey Report 2024, we revealed that the top cause of cybersecurity challenges for IT professionals is dangerous user practices, and the problem has become more impactful in the past year. In 2024, 45% of respondents cited poor user practices/gullibility as a top cybersecurity challenge, a sharp jump from 15% in 2023.
One reason for this may be the pervasive idea that cybersecurity isn’t everyone’s responsibility. Unfortunately, about 40% of workers believe only executives and IT teams are responsible for maintaining security. Educating users on cybercriminal tactics, social engineering traps and safe data handling procedures ensures that they understand their role in keeping systems and data secure while reducing the chance that they’ll make mistakes.

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3 benefits of security awareness training for user protection
Educating employees is vital for the success of any user protection strategy. Regular training transforms users into active defenders. In a survey, about 90% of employees said that well-planned employee training programs positively affect their level of engagement in security practices and data-handling procedures. Here are three benefits of emphasizing security awareness training as a user protection strategy:
- Increased awareness: Training helps users identify cyber-risks and curb unsafe practices that could result in a data breach or successful cyberattack. This awareness is essential for maintaining adherence to security policies and preventing disclosures of sensitive information.
- Behavioral change: When people understand why following the rules is important, they’re more compliant and make fewer mistakes. Education helps employees understand why they must take security policies seriously, encouraging them to adopt a security-first mindset in their daily activities.
- Compliance and risk management: Many regulatory frameworks, such as GDPR and HIPAA, require organizations to conduct employee training at regular intervals to maintain compliance. Security awareness training helps employees understand the role that security best practices play in compliance and the consequences of failing to follow them.

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Turn the tide on the top cybersecurity issue for businesses
In addition to educating employees about smart security behaviors through training, deepening their knowledge about phishing is a must for mitigating people-related risks. The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) tools by bad actors has enabled them to create persuasive, believable messages that can even fool savvy targets, in turn heightening risk. According to our survey respondents, phishing is the top cybersecurity issue for businesses, both historically (58%) and in the past 12 months (50%).
Phishing simulations provide users with hands-on, practical experience in identifying phishing attempts. They can often be customized to mimic the real-world phishing tactics that employees face every day. Phishing resistance training is especially important for managers, who are twice as likely to fall for phishing as employees.

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3 benefits of utilizing phishing simulations in your user protection strategy
Phishing simulations are a powerful tool for strengthening an organization’s cybersecurity posture and augmenting its user protection strategy.
- Reinforcement of training: Practice makes perfect. Phishing simulations reinforce the concepts taught in training sessions, ensuring that users retain and apply what they’ve learned.
- Identification of weak points: Some users will need more training than others. Simulated phishing campaigns are a smart (and safe) way to determine who needs more training before a mistake becomes a disaster.
- Metrics for improvement: These exercises provide valuable metrics, like click-through rates and reporting rates, that can help companies measure the efficacy of their training programs and refine their approach over time.
User-related risks can be tricky to mitigate. Implementing a comprehensive user protection strategy that includes consistent security awareness training and phishing simulations is a smart way for IT professionals to bolster a company’s security to protect systems and data from cybercrime.

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Kaseya 365 User gives IT professionals the tools they need to prevent, respond & recover from user threats
It’s time for security that goes beyond the endpoint. Kaseya 365 User streamlines user security into a single, integrated solution, for complete peace of mind from user threats. With Kaseya 365 User, you protect users with a variety of tools that educate them about cyberthreats as well as enable you to proactively monitor for dangers like dark web and phishing attacks.
- Prevent: Technology and training to prevent phishing attacks and the exposure of user credentials.
- Respond: Intelligent alerting and automatic responses to detect and block anomalies in SaaS activity.
- Recover: Comprehensive backup and streamlined recovery of SaaS data to protect your business.
- Automate: Do it all consistently, accurately and within the constraints of small teams.
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