How to Build Your WISP – Step 8: Training Employees on Security Best Practices

Your Written Information Security Plan (WISP) is only as strong as the people who follow it. A well-documented security plan won’t protect your business if employees don’t understand or apply security best practices in their daily work. That’s why employee security training is a critical component of an effective WISP.

Why Does Employee Training Matter?

Security training ensures that everyone in the organization understands their role in protecting sensitive data. Regular training:

• Reduces human error, which is a leading cause of security breaches.

• Ensures compliance with regulations like the FTC Safeguards Rule and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA).

• Helps employees recognize threats, such as phishing and social engineering attacks.

• Creates a culture of security awareness, making cybersecurity part of everyday operations.

How to Implement Effective Security Training

For training to be effective, it must be practical, engaging, and ongoing. Here’s how to build a security training program that employees will retain and apply:

1. Set Clear Training Goals

• What security behaviors do you want employees to adopt?

• What common risks should they be able to identify?

• How should they report security incidents?

2. Tailor Training to Employee Roles

Not all employees need the same level of security training. Customize training based on job roles:

• All employees: Password hygiene, phishing awareness, incident reporting.

• Managers and supervisors: Handling sensitive data, enforcing policies.

• IT and security personnel: Advanced threat detection, access management, incident response.

• Remote workers: Secure home office setups, VPN use, device security.

3. Use Real-World Scenarios

• Phishing simulations: Test employees with fake phishing emails to measure their awareness.

• Role-based exercises: Walk through security scenarios relevant to specific job functions.

• Incident response drills: Train employees on what to do if a breach occurs.

4. Make Training Engaging and Accessible

• Use short, interactive training sessions instead of long, tedious lectures.

• Offer self-paced learning options through online modules.

• Reinforce key points with posters, emails, and quick security reminders.

5. Train Regularly and Keep It Up to Date

Security training isn’t a one-time event. To stay effective:

• Conduct mandatory annual security training.

• Provide ongoing security updates through newsletters or quick refresher sessions.

• Update training to address new threats and emerging risks.

Tracking and Enforcing Security Training

To ensure training is effective:

• Require employees to sign an acknowledgment after completing training.

• Track completion rates and follow up with employees who miss training sessions.

• Test knowledge through quizzes or simulated attacks to reinforce learning.

• Hold employees accountable for adhering to security policies.

Wrapping Up

A strong security awareness program ensures that employees become the first line of defense in your cybersecurity efforts. Training shouldn’t be seen as a compliance requirement—it should be an ongoing effort to embed security into daily work habits.

If you need help building an effective security training program, Zeus InfoSec can provide customized training solutions that engage employees and strengthen your security posture.

This concludes our How to Build Your WISP series! Your WISP is now a living, actionable program that helps protect your business from security threats. Need further guidance or refinements? We’re here to help.

Still not sure where to start?

Check out Protect Your Business with Our Free Cybersecurity Checklist for Small Businesses or Free Cybersecurity Essentials eBook

Until next time…

Stay Safe. Stay Secure. And Remember….

Business is hard enough. Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be!