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Blog

Seven Terrific Resources to Use for Cybersecurity Awareness Month

July 29, 2024
Posted by Andre Marion
Cybersecurity awareness resources

October Cybersecurity Awareness Month is approaching fast and, with it, a critical time to fortify your organization's defenses against the ever-evolving cyber threats.

With over a billion records stolen this year1 (and rising!), breaches this summer have shaken industries to their core. Financial institutions, health care, and car dealership software have been hacked; no sector is immune.

At the core of these internet breaches is your biggest attack surface: the human factor: 

  • HR personnel falling for deceptive emails that appear legitimate and clicking on malicious links.
  • Team members reusing passwords across multiple accounts without multi-factor authentication.
  • Finance staff saving the personal information of thousands of employees in unprotected sheets.
  • Hundreds of employees using unauthorized applications or devices.
  • Gullible people falling for the most basic social engineering tactics.

And highlights a sobering reality: while technology and security measures are essential, employees remain the last line of defense against cyber threats.

Educated employees have become not just a best practice but a necessity. Equipped with the right knowledge and skills, they can detect and thwart cyber threats before they escalate.

Free cybersecurity awareness month newsletter.

Effective Education in Cybersecurity

Effective education in cybersecurity awareness goes far beyond annual training sessions. To engage employees and reinforce cybersecurity practices, utilizing resources tailored to different learning styles and needs is vital.

The Forgetting Curve and Varied Learning Approaches

Introduced by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, this concept emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and reinforcement. According to this principle, information is lost over time if not reviewed regularly. This is where diverse educational resources come into play. By incorporating a mix of quizzes, posters, infographics, videos, and interactive content, you can ensure that cybersecurity awareness remains fresh and top of mind for employees.

  • Quizzes stimulate active recall and reinforce learning, helping employees to retain critical information longer.
  • Posters and infographics offer visual cues and reminders that can be strategically placed around the workplace to keep key messages visible.
  • Videos can simplify complex topics and present them in an engaging, easily digestible format. 

These varied approaches cater to different learning preferences, ensuring that all employees can grasp and retain crucial cybersecurity concepts regardless of their preferred learning style.

Relatability and Up-to-Date Information

Being topical and relatable is job one in effective cybersecurity education. Cyber threats are evolving, and so should your training materials. Incorporating news, statistics, and real-world examples into your educational resources makes the content more relevant and underscores the seriousness of the threats.

Drop the Tech-Talk: Simplify Cybersecurity

You and your team speak complex technical jargon. You live in that world. But your workforce doesn’t. Cybersecurity content has to be easy-to-understand, relatable to employees (and their kids and parents), and actionable — not threatening. Cybersecurity is intimidating, but by simplifying terminology and focusing on simple steps employees can take, you make it accessible and actionable. 

Ultimately, the goal is to create a culture of continuous learning and vigilance by leveraging a different formats — some of it for employees who learn by clicking, watching, playing…and some for employees who are detail-oriented and learn by reading.

As we approach October Cybersecurity Awareness Month, take the opportunity to elevate your approach to employee education. Here are seven terrific resources designed to engage, educate, and empower your workforce:

1 - Infographic: Pig Butchering Scams


It's an odd name, but it's a huge cybersecurity issue that exploded in popularity this year. This graphic, suitable for use as a standalone poster, in a newsletter, or in your Workday or other employee feed, demonstrates firsthand how criminals use social engineering tactics to approach their victims and steal their money.

We show a real example, analyze the steps being taken, and point out the red flags indicating this is a scam.

See here

2 - Poster: Who’s hacking me? — Email


This poster is part of our "Who's Hacking Me?" series, spotlighting phishing emails as the primary avenue utilized by threat actors to infiltrate organizations.

It is an excellent message to display around the office as a reminder of the human factor in cybersecurity and how each of us plays a crucial role in keeping it all together.

See here.

03 - Poster: Slowwww Downnnn


The #1 factor in falling for a phishing email is that the employee is moving too fast. Remind them to slowwww downnnnn. The poster series is excellent for reinforcing cybersecurity best practices.

See here.

04 - Quiz: Cybersecurity Definitions

Cybersecurity quiz with answers. Cybersecurtity definitionscyber security questions for employeescyber security test questions

Your IT department puts out memos, messages, texts — you name it — to keep your employees engaged in cybersecurity. But would you believe many of them don’t understand what you’re talking about? Yes, even now, after all this time.

This live-scoring quiz will help your employees understand definitions of some of the most common and essential cybersecurity terms. 

See here.

05 - Quiz: Multi-Factor Authentication

Cybersecurity quiz with answers. MFAcyber security questions for employeescyber security test questionsmulti factor authentication

Employees will understand Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) and how to use it. They will walk away understanding why MFA is a core component of a strong identity and access management for your company.

See here.

06 - Action: What to do after a big breach

It’s a live-scoring, five-question quiz with clear messaging and actionable advice. It’s a solid asset to roll out following a high-profile breach involving a familiar brand name.

See here.

07 - Data Hungry Apps

Data privacy: everyone has heard about it. But do your employees know how much of their data is being tracked?

This graph clearly shows the shocking amount of personal information collected by popular apps.

See here.

Can I Get These Resources Branded for My Company?

You bet! All content from Aware Force is branded for your company. 

Didn’t find the resource you were specifically looking for or would like to see more? Check our Cyber Library at: https://awareforce.com/shop/

We have the perfect solution if you’re ready to rise above generic “check the box” solutions and take cybersecurity to a new level in your organization.

Aware Force brings a remarkable track record of:

  • Massive employee readership that make you the hero
  • Access to a real-time metrics dashboard, generating amazing ROI
  • Insanely easy implementation
  • Content branded for your organization to reinforce the value of your team

Our team here to show you innovative ways organizations use Aware Force to engage their employees. (And we can show you how employees respond to it!)

Get in touch with us here at https://awareforce.com/contact-us/ :

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