homepage
Open menu
Go one level top
  • Train and Certify
    Train and Certify

    Immediately apply the skills and techniques learned in SANS courses, ranges, and summits

    • Overview
    • Courses
      • Overview
      • Full Course List
      • By Focus Areas
        • Cloud Security
        • Cyber Defense
        • Cybersecurity and IT Essentials
        • DFIR
        • Industrial Control Systems
        • Offensive Operations
        • Management, Legal, and Audit
      • By Skill Levels
        • New to Cyber
        • Essentials
        • Advanced
        • Expert
      • Training Formats
        • OnDemand
        • In-Person
        • Live Online
      • Course Demos
    • Training Roadmaps
      • Skills Roadmap
      • Focus Area Job Roles
        • Cyber Defense Job Roles
        • Offensive Operations Job Roles
        • DFIR Job Roles
        • Cloud Job Roles
        • ICS Job Roles
        • Leadership Job Roles
      • NICE Framework
        • Security Provisionals
        • Operate and Maintain
        • Oversee and Govern
        • Protect and Defend
        • Analyze
        • Collect and Operate
        • Investigate
        • Industrial Control Systems
      • European Skills Framework
    • GIAC Certifications
    • Training Events & Summits
      • Events Overview
      • Event Locations
        • Asia
        • Australia & New Zealand
        • Latin America
        • Mainland Europe
        • Middle East & Africa
        • Scandinavia
        • United Kingdom & Ireland
        • United States & Canada
      • Summits
    • OnDemand
    • Get Started in Cyber
      • Overview
      • Degree and Certificate Programs
      • Scholarships
      • Cyber Aces
    • Cyber Ranges
  • Manage Your Team
    Manage Your Team

    Build a world-class cyber team with our workforce development programs

    • Overview
    • Why Work with SANS
    • Group Purchasing
    • Build Your Team
      • Team Development
      • Assessments
      • Private Training
      • Hire Cyber Professionals
      • By Industry
        • Health Care
        • Industrial Control Systems Security
        • Military
    • Leadership Training
  • Security Awareness
    Security Awareness

    Increase your staff’s cyber awareness, help them change their behaviors, and reduce your organizational risk

    • Overview
    • Products & Services
      • Security Awareness Training
        • EndUser Training
        • Phishing Platform
      • Specialized
        • Developer Training
        • ICS Engineer Training
        • NERC CIP Training
        • IT Administrator
      • Risk Assessments
        • Knowledge Assessment
        • Culture Assessment
        • Behavioral Risk Assessment
    • OUCH! Newsletter
    • Career Development
      • Overview
      • Training & Courses
      • Professional Credential
    • Blog
    • Partners
    • Reports & Case Studies
  • Resources
    Resources

    Enhance your skills with access to thousands of free resources, 150+ instructor-developed tools, and the latest cybersecurity news and analysis

    • Overview
    • Webcasts
    • Free Cybersecurity Events
      • Free Events Overview
      • Summits
      • Solutions Forums
      • Community Nights
    • Content
      • Newsletters
        • NewsBites
        • @RISK
        • OUCH! Newsletter
      • Blog
      • Podcasts
      • Summit Presentations
      • Posters & Cheat Sheets
    • Research
      • White Papers
      • Security Policies
    • Tools
    • Focus Areas
      • Cyber Defense
      • Cloud Security
      • Digital Forensics & Incident Response
      • Industrial Control Systems
      • Cyber Security Leadership
      • Offensive Operations
  • Get Involved
    Get Involved

    Help keep the cyber community one step ahead of threats. Join the SANS community or begin your journey of becoming a SANS Certified Instructor today.

    • Overview
    • Join the Community
    • Work Study
    • Teach for SANS
    • CISO Network
    • Partnerships
    • Sponsorship Opportunities
  • About
    About

    Learn more about how SANS empowers and educates current and future cybersecurity practitioners with knowledge and skills

    • SANS
      • Overview
      • Our Founder
      • Awards
    • Instructors
      • Our Instructors
      • Full Instructor List
    • Mission
      • Our Mission
      • Diversity
      • Scholarships
    • Contact
      • Contact Customer Service
      • Contact Sales
      • Press & Media Enquiries
    • Frequent Asked Questions
    • Customer Reviews
    • Press
    • Careers
  • Contact Sales
  • SANS Sites
    • GIAC Security Certifications
    • Internet Storm Center
    • SANS Technology Institute
    • Security Awareness Training
  • Search
  • Log In
  • Join
    • Account Dashboard
    • Log Out
  1. Home >
  2. Blog >
  3. The What & How of Role Role-Based Training
370x370_Lance-Spitzner.jpg
Lance Spitzner

The What & How of Role Role-Based Training

Role-based training is playing a bigger and bigger role in the world of security awareness and managing human risk.

January 26, 2023

Role-based training is playing a bigger and bigger role in the world of security awareness and managing human risk. So, what exactly is it, why should you care and ultimately, how does one build a role-based training program?

What is role-based training?

First, what is role-based training? Ultimately, it is providing the right training to the right people and nothing more. Traditional security training can often be a one-size-fits-all solution where everyone takes the same training. For certain topics this makes sense. For example, just about everyone has passwords so the entire workforce should most likely be trained on how to create and use strong passwords / authentication. Just about everyone can be targeted for scams, so the entire workforce should most likely be trained on how to spot and stop social engineering attacks. Topics like these are called “core” or "foundational" training as it's training that applies to everyone.

However, there are often certain topics that do not apply to everyone. For example, compliance training like PCI-DSS only needs to be provided to people who handle cardholder data, or the people who manage the systems that store or process cardholder data. Not everyone may have administrative accounts, so not everyone needs training on privileged access. Role-based training means you go above and beyond just foundational training for everyone and create additional specialized training for specific roles, as different roles have unique responsibilities and unique risks.

Compliance driven role-based training

The two most common categories of role-based training are compliance driven and risk driven. Compliance driven role-based training is training for certain roles to meet certain compliance standards, which is usually driven by the type of data someone handles. For example, GDPR training is required for anyone handling Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of an EU resident. HIPAA training is required for anyone handling PHI (Personal Healthcare Information) in healthcare. Role-based training is for risk reasons. Certain roles are often considered higher risk, as they are more likely to be actively targeted (such as an Accounts / Payables employee). If an incident does happen in such roles, it can cause far greater harm due to the fact that these people are working with highly sensitive data, systems, or applications (such as IT Admins or Developers). These roles require additional training to address their unique risks; often this training is far more technical in nature.

Compliance role-based training is usually the simpler of the two and has been around for years. You first identify the standards you need to comply with (such as PCI-DSS), the roles that fall under the standard (anyone who handles cardholder data or the systems that manage cardholder data), and provide the required training. This training is often already available from security or compliance vendors. The goal is ultimately checking the box, making sure you meet the training requirements of the different standards. A key to success with compliance training is keeping it as short as possible, as it can be frightfully boring, especially if people have to train on multiple compliance standards. To both identify the roles and source the training, you will most likely have to work with your audit, compliance, legal and / or GRC (Governance, Risk, Compliance) teams.

Risk driven role-based training

Risk driven role-based training is newer in that it is very much driven by managing human risk. Certain roles represent your greatest human risk, so you need to manage that risk by providing them specialized training. This can be much more challenging than compliance driven role-based training. First, you need to identify which roles you consider your greatest risks, then identify the unique risks to each role. This often requires a risk assessment, which is usually done by the security team. However, security teams typically assess risk from a technical perspective, and may struggle or not have experience assessing risk from the human perspective. Once you have identified the high-risk roles, you then identify the unique risks within that role. Once that is done, you can identify the concepts, skills, and behaviors that will manage those unique risks. You can then create your role-based training, which is often technical and requires the assistance of a subject matter expert (SME).

Let’s take IT Admins for example, this is one of the most common roles I see organization’s identify as high risk and attempt to provide additional security training for. IT Admins have a very challenging job, as they have to maintain the systems, accounts and quite often, applications that store and process the organization’s most sensitive data. If these individuals make a mistake or are compromised, the impact can be very high – and the probability of something bad happening is only increasing. Not only are IT Admins more actively targeted, but as technology is constantly advancing, they have the challenging job of staying current. Have you ever been confused on how the cloud actually works? Well, you know what, IT Admins can quite often get confused too.

Role-based training is often the next step for organizations that already have a foundational security awareness program in place.

Developing role-based training for a technical role like an IT Admin requires partnering with multiple groups. First, you have to partner with your IT Admins, identify what their role actually is, which systems or people they interact with, what is expected of them, and what are their biggest challenges and issues. These should be individuals that have a good relationship with the security team or understand and believe in the need for security training. Then you will also have to partner with your security team or several security SMEs to identify what training, skills, and behaviors will help manage those risks. For example, training on how to properly patch systems so they are current, how to work with vendors, how to securely enable remote access, or how to configure applications with least privileges by default. Some organizations even train their IT Admins to become human sensors with advanced training on how to identify the indicators of compromise on a server and what to do if they suspect a system has been hacked.

The challenge with this type of role-based training is the training must be created by people who understand the technical issues, and that the training is communicated in a technical manner, speaking the language of the role you are attempting to secure. This is what makes risk focused role-based training far more challenging (but also more important) than traditional compliance focused role-based training.

Role-based training is often the next step for organizations that already have a foundational security awareness program in place. While role-based training has traditionally been compliance driven, in today’s world we are also seeing it play more of a managing human risk role, especially as technical roles such as IT Admins and Developers are key to securing today’s organizations.

To learn more about role-based security training, take the three-day SANS MGT433: Managing Human Risk course.

Share:
TwitterLinkedInFacebook
Copy url Url was copied to clipboard
Subscribe to SANS Newsletters
Receive curated news, vulnerabilities, & security awareness tips
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Australia
India
Japan
Singapore
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard And McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, Republic Of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States Of
Moldova, Republic Of
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Bartholemy
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome And Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
St. Helena
St. Pierre And Miquelon
Suriname
Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad And Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks And Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wallis And Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe

By providing this information, you agree to the processing of your personal data by SANS as described in our Privacy Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Tags:
  • Security Management, Legal, and Audit

Related Content

Blog
SSA-_Renewing_Your_SSAP_-_Two_Easy_Steps_-_340x340_Thumb.jpg
Security Awareness, Security Management, Legal, and Audit
March 22, 2023
Renewing Your SANS Security Awareness Professional (SSAP) – Two Easy Steps
You will need to renew your SSAP every four years, a process we've worked hard to keep as simple as possible to ensure it helps you grow your career.
370x370_Lance-Spitzner.jpg
Lance Spitzner
read more
Blog
_Which_human-focused_cybersecurity_course_is_best_for_me_340x340.jpg
Security Management, Legal, and Audit
March 16, 2023
Which Human-Focused Cybersecurity Course is Best for Me?
Examine the differences between the MGT433: Managing Human Risk course and MGT521: Building a Security-Based Culture course.
370x370_Lance-Spitzner.jpg
Lance Spitzner
read more
Blog
SSA_SSAP-Badge-340x340.png
Security Awareness, Security Management, Legal, and Audit
February 16, 2023
SANS Security Awareness Professional: A New Look for the SSAP Digital Badge
With the expansion of the curriculum in this area comes a small but significant update to the SSAP digital credential.
370x370_Lance-Spitzner.jpg
Lance Spitzner
read more
  • Register to Learn
  • Courses
  • Certifications
  • Degree Programs
  • Cyber Ranges
  • Job Tools
  • Security Policy Project
  • Posters & Cheat Sheets
  • White Papers
  • Focus Areas
  • Cyber Defense
  • Cloud Security
  • Cybersecurity Leadership
  • Digital Forensics
  • Industrial Control Systems
  • Offensive Operations
Subscribe to SANS Newsletters
Receive curated news, vulnerabilities, & security awareness tips
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Spain
Belgium
Denmark
Norway
Netherlands
Australia
India
Japan
Singapore
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska)
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard And McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, Republic Of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States Of
Moldova, Republic Of
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Bartholemy
Saint Kitts And Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome And Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
St. Helena
St. Pierre And Miquelon
Suriname
Svalbard And Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad And Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks And Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (British)
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wallis And Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe

By providing this information, you agree to the processing of your personal data by SANS as described in our Privacy Policy.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
  • © 2023 SANS™ Institute
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn