What do you need to look for in a security training provider?

What do you need to look for in a security training provider?

As workflows and workforces become increasingly digitized, the need for greater and more targeted security systems increases. Online connectivity opens a network up to a wide range of threats, forcing security providers to develop even more advanced cyber defenses. This arms race has resulted in fairly sophisticated technologies and techniques on both sides, but the one facet of a holistic security system that often goes neglected is the human one.

No matter how advanced security systems get, if the people manning them can be duped, the entire system will remain vulnerable. Providing comprehensive security awareness training to all employees is therefore critical for every organization. Hiring a security training provider can ensure that your staff is more conscious of cyberthreats, but you must make sure that the provider can guarantee the results you want to achieve.

When looking for a training provider, there are six important factors you need to think about.

1. Compatibility with security principles

The first factor to consider when choosing a training provider is whether the content delivered is aligned with the vision, strategy, and approach of your organization. Your business's security needs are unique and depend on factors such as industry, culture, and day-to-day operations. Thus, it's critical that you partner with a provider that has a clear and firm grasp of your organization's exact security requirements.

2. Ability to engage

The quality and thoroughness of training content means nothing if it fails to capture its audience’s attention. This often happens when training is generic and designed to be one-size-fits-all. Instead, the training should be catered to the industry and types of people working within an organization. If the training can speak to their sensibilities, then they’re that much more likely to pay attention, and ultimately retain the messaging.

3. Targeted content

The same principle of knowing and tailoring to the audience applies to the content of the training itself. Generic training isn’t always applicable to the day-to-day realities of the participants, or fails to take into account circumstances that may make its adoption difficult.

Ideally, the training should be focused on how security should be handled and applied within the specific context of the organization, or even the team. The security training required by someone on the IT staff, for example, would be significantly different and likely more complex than that required by a machine operator. Additionally, contractors or third-party vendors require a different type of training from that needed by full-time internal employees.

4. Sufficiently diversified scope

Speaking of catering to teams, effective training programs should be malleable enough to suit the differing needs of various functions within an organization. This also extends to employees based in offices in different regions. In addition to the differences in work functions, the training needs to take into account the differing cultural contexts of these teams and deliver its message accordingly.

5. Threat modeling integration availability

Threat modeling is a technique used to predict potential sources of cyberattack, and thus predict their mechanisms and prepare accordingly. Threat modeling can add significant depth and specificity to security training, enabling the provider to tailor the program to the needs of the receiving organization. This includes focusing on particular groups or nation-states likely to target the organization. This ultimately has the effect of making the training participants aware of the likely forms threats can come in, even those that originate internally.

6. Competitive pricing

It goes without saying that costing needs to be taken into account when considering training providers. While effective training more than covers its cost in terms of mitigating disastrous outcomes, there are economic realities to consider. The training not only needs to make sense for an organization’s cash flow, but also justify itself against similar options on the market.

When it comes to security training, Fidelis can give expert advice and recommendations on how to keep your business safe. Contact us today to learn more about our cybersecurity services.


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