It’s a truth few want to admit … your biggest cybersecurity risk isn’t a hoodie-wearing hacker in a dimly lit basement - it’s Sandra in accounts, Steve in sales, and, let’s be honest, probably most of the board too.
The leading cause of breaches
Human error has become the leading cause of security breaches. The Verizon DBIR, plus numerous other reports make it clear - mistakes made by real people such as clicking bad links, misconfiguring systems and using weak passwords, are responsible for a staggering proportion of security incidents.
The scary part? These errors are happening inside your organisation right now. it’s vital for organisations to put the right security strategies in place – including cybersecurity training. But it’s often the case that training is either inconsistent, a one-off or worst case scenario – doesn’t happen at all. So why is cybersecurity training still treated like a box-ticking exercise?
The evolving threat landscape
Cybercrime has evolved …
- Phishing emails now use AI to craft personalised messages with near-perfect language.
- Attackers scrape LinkedIn, social media and company websites to tailor their scams with uncanny accuracy.
- And the rise of deepfakes and voice-cloning tech creating a convincing ‘call from your manager’ could be one AI iteration away.
Businesses are more exposed than ever. Hybrid work has punched holes in perimeter security, employees are connecting from cafes, homes, trains - and often with very little oversight.
Cloud environments, SaaS sprawl, and BYOD policies have expanded the attack surface far beyond the server room.
Why tools alone won’t save you
So when it comes to protection, cybersecurity tools are vital - Firewalls, EDRs, zero-trust architecture - they all matter. But, none of them can stop an employee from handing over credentials because they thought the email looked legitimate, or accidentally sharing sensitive documents via a personal Dropbox link, or failing to report a suspicious email because they didn’t know it was suspicious.
Effective cybersecurity training
This is where cybersecurity training comes in. Real, ongoing, relevant training - not the annual ‘Security Awareness Lecture’ with outdated slides and PowerPoint animations. We’re talking interactive, scenario-based, bite-sized and, above all - continuous.
It’s not just common sense anymore - it’s compliance. Regulatory frameworks like GDPR, NIS2, and ISO 27001 place increasing emphasis on organisational security culture. If you suffer a breach and can’t demonstrate that you’ve made reasonable efforts to educate your staff? You’re in for a world of legal, financial and reputational pain.
Cyber insurers are also tightening the screws. They’re asking harder questions. Were your members of staff trained? How often? Where are the training logs? If you can’t answer to their satisfaction, your policy probably won’t pay out.
Make cybersecurity everyone’s job
If your business treats security as an IT problem, you’ve already lost. The smartest organisations embed cybersecurity into company culture. They train new starters as part of onboarding. They gamify phishing simulations. They reward good security behaviour. They make it everyone’s job to be part of the defence.
Because here’s the truth: cybersecurity isn’t a product, it’s a mindset. If you want your people to think like defenders, they need to be equipped, engaged and empowered.
The bottom line …
Ongoing cybersecurity training is no longer a ‘nice to have,’ it’s essential. The digital landscape is a war zone, and your employees are on the front lines - whether they like it or not.
The question isn’t ‘can you afford to train them?’
It’s ‘can you afford to not train them?’
At Brigantia, we partner with vendors like KnowBe4, which is designed to educate and strengthen security culture within teams and organisations. To find out more, head to the KnowBe4 vendor page.
To explore all of our vendors, take a look at our vendor portfolio.
