The below bullets summarize this post:

• Managed security awareness is a proactive approach to cybersecurity education.
• It involves continuous training and reinforcement of best practices for employees.
• Managed security awareness programs are often provided by third-party vendors.
• The goal is to reduce the risk of human error leading to security breaches.
• Topics covered include password management, phishing, social engineering, and secure browsing.
• Regular assessments and reporting help measure the effectiveness of the program.
• Implementing managed security awareness can improve overall organizational security posture.

In today's distributed modern work world, companies face a myriad of dynamic cybersecurity threats. These threats often target the weakest link in an organization: the human factor. Managed security awareness is a proactive approach to cybersecurity education, providing continuous training and reinforcement of best practices for employees, reducing the risk of human error, and ultimately improving an organization's overall security posture. In this blog post, we will delve into the concept of managed security awareness, its benefits, and its essential components.

What Does Managed Security Awareness Entail?

Managed security awareness is a comprehensive approach to employee education on cybersecurity. It is designed to keep employees informed and vigilant against potential threats, ensuring that they understand the risks and adhere to best practices.

With managed security awareness, companies use vendors plus services to build, customize, and scale security awareness. This means partnering with a third-party vendor specializing in security awareness training and employing a multi-faceted approach that includes:

1. Training Modules: Employees are provided with interactive courses covering essential cybersecurity topics such as password management, phishing, social engineering, secure browsing, and data protection.
2. Simulated Attacks: To test employees' knowledge and response to real-life threats, the program may involve simulated phishing emails and other social engineering tactics.
3. Regular Assessments: Quizzes and assessments are conducted to gauge employees' understanding of the material and identify areas for improvement.
4. Reporting: Metrics are collected on employee performance, progress, and engagement to provide insights into the effectiveness of the program.
5. Continuous Reinforcement: The program is designed to provide ongoing reminders and updates to keep security awareness top of mind for employees.

Benefits of Managed Security Awareness

Implementing a managed security awareness program can yield numerous benefits for an organization:

1. Reduced Risk of Human Error: By educating employees on the latest threats and best practices, the likelihood of human error leading to a security breach is diminished.
2. Improved Security Posture: An educated workforce is better equipped to recognize and report potential threats, contributing to a more robust security culture within the organization.
3. Compliance: Many regulatory standards, such as GDPR and HIPAA, require organizations to provide security awareness training to employees, making managed security awareness programs a valuable tool for maintaining compliance.
4. Increased Employee Engagement: Employees who understand the importance of their role in an organization's security posture are more likely to take ownership of their actions and stay engaged in the process.

Key Components of an Effective Managed Security Awareness Program

A successful managed security awareness program should encompass the following elements:

1. Customized Content: Training materials should be tailored to an organization's unique needs, industry, and risks to ensure relevancy and effectiveness.
2. Engaging and Interactive: Courses should be engaging and interactive, utilizing various media formats and gamification techniques to keep employees interested and retain information.
3. Measurable Results: Regular assessments, reporting, and metrics provide valuable insights into the program's effectiveness and help identify areas for improvement.
4. Multi-Layered Approach: Combining various methods, such as simulated attacks, training modules, and reinforcement, ensures comprehensive coverage of security awareness topics.
5. Scalable: The program should be scalable to accommodate the growth and changing needs of an organization.

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Managed security awareness is a  smart approach to comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, especially for fast growing and under-resourced security awareness and trust teams. By providing continuous education and reinforcement of best practices, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of human error leading to security breaches. Partnering with a third-party vendor specializing in security awareness training can offer a range of benefits, including improved overall security posture, increased employee engagement, custom content, strategic guidance, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Haekka offers fully managed security awareness for customers that want to truly partner to engage employees on security and reduce human risk. Reach out today to learn more.

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