Securing the Future: Enhancing Effectiveness of Security Awareness Training

Phishing Security Awareness Training Isn’t Working – How Can We Improve It?

Introduction

Phishing remains a significant cybersecurity threat, with social engineering techniques becoming increasingly sophisticated. While security awareness training is meant to help individuals recognize and avoid phishing attacks, it is apparent that it is not working effectively. This raises the question: why doesn’t awareness training work, and how can we improve it?

The Problem with Current Awareness Training

It is important to separate awareness training from its primary focus, which is phishing. Phishing is just one element of the larger issue of social engineering. While phishing attacks may be quantified in terms of the number of attacks, it is difficult to measure the success or impact of these attacks accurately.

The real threat lies in social engineering, which includes various tactics such as business email compromise, investment fraud, tech/customer support impersonation, government impersonation, romance scams, and advance fee frauds. These tactics rely on manipulating human behavior and exploiting biases for successful execution.

Industry Opinions

Opinions within the industry vary regarding the effectiveness of awareness training. Some experts believe that while awareness training can educate individuals about social engineering risks, it cannot eliminate the threat entirely. The challenge lies in covering all possible social engineering scenarios and the fact that people can still fall for new and unfamiliar attacks.

Others argue that awareness training does work to some extent, but organizations often place an excessive burden on employees by solely relying on this training to prevent breaches. Blaming and punishing employees for mistakes can discourage them from reporting incidents or admitting their errors, ultimately hindering effective incident response.

Psychological Factors in Social Engineering

Understanding the psychology behind social engineering is crucial to addressing its success. The human brain is limited in its capacity to process information, and people use shortcuts or biases to filter and prioritize information efficiently. Social engineers exploit these biases by launching attacks when individuals are overwhelmed or distracted.

Biases such as greed, fear, and the need for haste are effectively used as triggers to manipulate victims. Social engineers capitalize on the fact that individuals prioritize completing tasks efficiently, creating a vulnerability that can be exploited.

The Rise of AI in Social Engineering

Artificial intelligence (AI) presents a new challenge in the fight against social engineering. While AI can assist in detecting attacks, it does not reduce the susceptibility of users to social engineering techniques. Deepfake technology, for example, can create convincing voice and video impersonations, opening the door to more sophisticated attacks.

Large language models, such as the generative pre-trained transformer (GPT), enable attackers to create social engineering content and personalized messages at scale. As AI continues to advance, the potential for highly targeted and successful social engineering attacks becomes a significant concern.

Improving Awareness Training

The current approach to awareness training is inadequate to combat evolving social engineering techniques. Simply teaching individuals to recognize phishing attacks is not enough. To improve awareness training, a behavioral training component should be integrated alongside security awareness.

Behavioral training should aim to change individuals’ ingrained biases and subconscious behavior patterns to better align with secure practices. This can be achieved through techniques such as ‘cyber nudging,’ which introduces design features into digital environments to encourage positive cybersecurity habits.

Moreover, awareness training should go beyond recognizing the ‘what’ of a phishing email and delve into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of social engineering attacks. It should instill a sense of responsibility for cybersecurity in all employees, making it an integral part of their roles rather than an additional task.

Conclusion

It is clear that current awareness training is not effectively mitigating the threat of social engineering attacks. By incorporating behavioral training, leveraging insights from behavioral science, and creating a cybersecurity culture that fosters positive habits, organizations can enhance their defense against social engineering. As the threat landscape evolves, it is crucial to adopt a dynamic and comprehensive approach to cybersecurity awareness and training.