Cybersecurity Awareness Training in 2025: Time to Ditch the Boring Slides
- shaun9968
- Jul 16
- 6 min read
Introduction Cybersecurity awareness training has long been treated like a checkbox exercise: watch a video, click through a few slides, answer some questions, and move on. But is that effective learning? With 2025 cyber threat levels, such an approach is no longer sufficient.
Phishing attacks are now often powered by AI, and deepfakes are impersonating executives! With increasingly sophisticated social engineering tactics, traditional training methods are failing to keep up. From my corporate experience, it’s been either minimal training or death by PowerPoint. Even as someone who has an interest in cyber security, I find myself feeling that the training is missing something or is unengaging and I switch off. Businesses now face a critical challenge: how to deliver engaging, relevant, and continuous cybersecurity training that does positively change employee behaviour.
This post looks at:
- why the old model of training no longer works
- what a modern approach could look like
- how businesses can build a human firewall that adapts to today’s cyber threats.
Why not so effective?
“Traditional” Cybersecurity training is just that… traditional! Based on facts in a world where best practice is frequently changing. Traditional “didactic” techniques do not reflect the conventional learning methods of the 21st century, which are more interactive. Also:
It’s Too Infrequent Cybersecurity isn’t a one-off event, it’s a daily responsibility. Threats are constantly changing.
Once a year training sessions don’t prepare employees to handle real-time threats that evolve constantly. Infrequent training leads to knowledge decay, where employees forget key lessons long before their next training cycle.
Agreed that everyone has a preferred learning style, but memory decays with time. I am in need of regular refreshers on a particular topic - even if it’s just a basic recap - otherwise I forget. If the training was annual, I definitely would have forgotten before the year was up!
It’s Passive and Forgettable Many traditional learning programs rely on passive content: reading materials, static slides, or overly scripted videos. This is not engaging, and not necessarily interactive. Effective learning requires feedback or otherwise the lack of attention may mean a lack of getting any of it stored. Even if it is assimilated into memory, a degree of repetition is needed, otherwise learners will not retain what they’ve learned for long (forgotten within weeks if not sooner). Education & Training needs to be memorable and ideally, engaging enough to be enjoyable.
It Doesn’t Reflect Real-World Attacks Training often focuses on knowledge (textbook definitions of phishing or malware), rather than practical application of the knowledge in a realistic way, such evolving threat scenarios. Today’s cyber-attacks are clever and highly targeted. Employees need to be on their guard and prepared to spot unusual behaviour, not just obvious red flags.
It Ignores Human Psychology Fear-based or overly technical training can cause information overload or disengagement. Worse, it can create a “security shame” culture, where employees are afraid to report mistakes. This leads to silent failures that become major incidents
It is not necessarily tested
It helps to motivate the learner if they know they will have a short test afterwards, and they will need to repeat the questions until they get a good score (e.g. 80% or more), or there will be consequences, as outlined in the onboarding procedures.
In the next section, let’s look at good practice in cyber security education and training…
What Cybersecurity Training Could Look Like in 2025
Here’s what a modern, effective cybersecurity awareness program could include:
1. Microlearning, Not Marathons
Break down training into short, focused modules that staff can complete in under 10 minutes. This approach fits into busy schedules and improves retention. Microlearning allows for more frequent reinforcement of best practices and can be easily adapted to address new threats.
Example: A quick, 5-minute video on how to spot suspicious links in Teams or Slack messages.
These bite-sized lessons can be delivered weekly or monthly and often include a short quiz or interactive scenario to reinforce the material.
2. Interactive, Hands-On Simulations
Use phishing simulations, scenario-based learning, or gamified quizzes that make users think and react like they would in real life. When users see how easily they can be tricked, they become more vigilant in their daily habits.
Tools like KnowBe4, Phished.io, or Hoxhunt allow businesses to send fake phishing emails to test staff and provide immediate feedback.
These simulations should mimic real-world situations, such as invoice fraud emails, fake LinkedIn requests, or urgent messages from executives. Repetition helps build instinctual responses.
3. Behaviour-Focused, Not Just Compliance-Focused
Rather than training people on definitions, focus on building habits. Reinforce secure behaviours like locking screens, using MFA, or verifying payment requests verbally. The goal should be to create security-conscious employees who think before clicking.
Ask: “Are we teaching employees to behave securely or just pass a factual quiz?”
It’s important because there is a key difference. People can learn the answers for a factual quiz, but better structured questions are more useful, especially if linked to visual cues such as desk reminders, posters, or monthly security themes that keep concepts top of mind.
4. Tailored by Role and Risk
One-size-fits-all doesn’t cut it. It is easier to go for a one size fits all approach, but it isn’t effective. The extra time and effort taken to tailor the training will be worth it. A marketing assistant and a finance director face different cyber risk. Training should reflect that. For instance, the finance team may be more vulnerable to business email compromise (BEC) scams, while developers may need training around secure coding practices.
Example: Finance teams should get enhanced training on BEC and invoice fraud tactics.
Customized training can improve relevance and reduce friction by focusing only on what users need to know to stay secure, also reducing overload.
5. Continuous, Not Annual
Security awareness should be a year-round effort. Reinforce key messages through monthly updates, newsletter tips, or even posters and intranet messages. Delivering content in different formats (articles, videos, infographics) helps maintain interest.
A culture of security is built by repetition and reinforcement not by a single training event. These single one-off training events are often seen as boring and one of those things to get out of the way. For the message to stick that needs to change.
Ongoing training also keeps pace with emerging threats. When news of a new phishing tactic or vulnerability breaks, incorporate it into that week’s training, this keeps knowledge current and doesn’t involve a massive rewrite of training materials or worse lead to outdated training materials.
6. Support a ‘No-Blame’ Reporting Culture
Empower staff to report suspicious activity or accidental clicks without fear of punishment. Mistakes happen but silence makes them worse. A strong cybersecurity culture promotes early detection and rapid response.
Promote psychological safety: people are more likely to report issues early if they trust they won’t be blamed and shamed.
Creating a safe space to ask questions and admit errors helps teams learn from incidents and strengthens overall security posture.
Not let’s repeat this, in a slightly different way…
What Modern Training Could Look Like:
Imagine this training journey for a new employee in 2025:
Week 1: 3-minute onboarding module on phishing basics, followed by a simulated phishing email two days later.
Month 1: A 6-minute interactive quiz on password security.
Quarterly: A short video update on trending threats (e.g., AI voice scams).
Ad hoc: Instant micro-lesson if a real security incident occurs within the company or industry.
This approach builds cyber awareness over time without overwhelming employees or draining productivity.
Tools & Platforms to Consider
Excellent resources are available from the ICO (information Commissioners Office): https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/accountability-and-governance/accountability-framework/training-and-awareness/
and NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre)
In addition, here are some tools businesses can explore to modernize their training:
KnowBe4 – Phishing simulations + extensive training library.
Hook Security – Humour-driven training with a psychological safety focus.
Hoxhunt – Personalized phishing training with gamification.
Cybermaniacs – Cybersecurity education through storytelling and culture building.
Such platforms help businesses automate, scale, and tailor their training programs for diverse teams. As ever these are only a few suggestions, with a range of prices and services. It is important to find the right tool that works for you and your business, these are just some ideas to get you started. More detail in the “further reading” section.
Final Thoughts
If your business still relies on once-a-year cybersecurity training, you’re leaving the human element exposed and underprepared. Attackers know it because they target humans, not firewalls.
2025 demands more than compliance. It requires a shift from tick-box training to ongoing, realistic, behaviour-driven education that meets employees where they are.
The good news? You don’t need a huge budget to get started. You just need the commitment to put people at the centre of your security strategy and to make security awareness part of your company’s culture, not just its policies.
By embracing modern training approaches, your workforce can transform from your weakest link into your strongest defence.
Further reading
There are plenty of good resources available for Cyber Security training. For starters, if the ICO or NCSC websites don’t fire you with interest, try the Regola article on employee awareness training:
Regola does not have any affiliation with any of the services and websites listed below, any interaction with them is at your own discretion and they are provided for information purposes only.
Back then, to the learning platforms:
Knowbe4 website:
Hoxhunt website:https://hoxhunt.com/
Hook Security website:
Cybermaniacs website:
