Email threats are becoming more sophisticated, increasingly slipping through traditional defenses and challenging organizations to adapt quickly. To counter these evolving risks, a combination of approaches is essential.
While Security Awareness Training (SAT) and security operations are both crucial, they are most effective when they work together. By integrating these two components, you create an adaptive defense system that enhances your ability to identify and mitigate threats more effectively.
For example, after completing an SAT session, an employee identifies and reports a suspicious email. When your security operations team provides timely feedback to this report, it reinforces what the employee learned in training, boosts their confidence, and encourages them to stay vigilant.
Without this prompt response, however, the employee might start doubting their ability to identify threats correctly or feel that their efforts are being overlooked, which can lead to disengagement.
Moreover, analyzing the phishing emails targeting your employees is essential for developing targeted training content that can genuinely impact your security posture.
This article will explain the best practices for optimizing the collaboration between security operations and cybersecurity awareness training, helping you fully leverage both by enhancing communication between teams, creating a feedback loop, and incorporating real-world examples.
Best Practices for Integrating Security Awareness Training and Security Operations
When SAT and security operations work together, the benefits are significantly amplified. Here’s how to maximize this collaboration:
Improve Communication Between Teams
For the integration between SAT and security operations to be truly effective, clear and open communication between the teams responsible for each is essential. This communication can include both periodic updates and immediate sharing of critical information.
For example, periodic reports can help ensure that insights gained from security operations are used to continuously refine and improve SAT programs. These reports might cover trends in phishing attempts or other emerging threats that should be addressed in upcoming training sessions.
However, not all information can wait for the next scheduled update. When a new or particularly dangerous threat is identified, a quick, targeted briefing ensures everyone is aware of the issue and can respond accordingly.
Likewise, feedback from the training team can help security operations better understand user behavior and tailor their analysis and response strategies accordingly. This two-way communication is key to creating a cohesive security strategy that leverages the strengths of both teams.
Establish a Continuous Feedback Loop to Reinforce Reporting Behavior
Communication isn’t confined to just between SAT and security operations teams—it also extends to direct interactions with the users.
When employees report suspicious emails, timely feedback from the security team is crucial.
This feedback confirms the accuracy of their reports and reinforces the importance of their vigilance, strengthening their commitment to security practices. By closing the loop with immediate responses, you encourage employees to continue accurately reporting potential threats, which in turn enhances the overall security posture of your organization.
Use Security Operations Insights to Tailor Phishing Simulations
Security operations often detect trends in the types of phishing attempts targeting your organization. Feeding this intelligence back into your SAT allows you to create more targeted phishing simulations that reflect the actual threats your organization faces.
By aligning your training with these real-world examples, you prepare your employees to respond more effectively to the types of threats they are most likely to encounter.
Additionally, this helps your SAT program stay engaging and relevant s by using examples of actual threats that your security operations have encountered.
When users see that the scenarios they are being trained on are based on real incidents, it not only makes the training more relatable but also underscores the importance of their role in keeping the organization secure.
Security Operations for Better Cybersecurity Awareness
Integrate Security Awareness Training with your security operations to create an adaptive, responsive defense system that adapts to new threats while reinforcing good security habits across your organization. By establishing a feedback loop, using real-world examples, and ensuring timely communication between your teams, you can supercharge your email threat response and create a more resilient security posture.
Ready to see how this integration can work for your organization? View our datasheet to learn more about the tools and strategies that can help you build a stronger, more effective security program.