Robust Phishing Awareness Training That Validates Learning and Changes Behavior

Phishing awareness training helps employees recognize and respond to phishing attempts: deceptive emails, links, QR Codes,  or messages designed to steal information or deliver malware. It matters because phishing remains one of the most common and effective ways attackers gain access to organizations. 

SANS Workforce Security & Risk Training teaches employees how phishing works, what red flags to look for, and how to report suspicious activity. When employees understand attacker tactics and know what to do, they become a critical part of your organization’s defense.

Attackers know that people, not technology, are often the easiest way into an organization. While security tools block many threats, one mistaken click can still give attackers access to systems, credentials, or sensitive data.

Phishing awareness training helps close this gap by building stronger human defenses. Workforce Security & Risk Training focuses  on how social engineering works, from fake invoices to impersonated executives, and gives employees the confidence to question and verify before acting.

Employees encounter a range of phishing tactics, including:

• Email phishing:Generic messages sent to large groups.
• Spear phishing:Personalized attacks using real company or colleague details to appear legitimate.
• QR code phishing (“quishing”): Malicious QR codes that direct users to fake websites or credential-stealing pages
• Business Email Compromise (BEC): Impersonation of executives,suppliers or trusted partners to pressure staff into making payments or sharing data.
• AI-generated phishing: Realistic, convincing messages created with AI tools to mimic tone, style, or branding.
• Malicious links or attachments:Emails containing infected files or directing users to fraudulent login pages.

SANS Workforce Security & Risk Training helps employees recognize these tactics through real-world examples, interactive learning, and continuous reinforcement.

Phishing awareness training works by changing behavior. When employees understand  how attackers think and what phishing looks like, they stop engaging with suspicious messages and start reporting them instead.

Through  ongoing, scenario-based modules and optional simulated phishing campaigns, SANS Workforce Security & Risk Training helps organizations measure and track progress,  reinforce key lessons, and reduce their overall exposure to phishing threats.

SANS recommends that organizations deliver phishing awareness training on a continuous basis rather than as a one-time event. This can include:

a. Onboarding training for all new hires.

b. Quarterly refreshers with updated threat examples.

c. Regular phishing simulations to test and reinforce behavior.

d. Role-based training: Providing tailored guidance for employees in higher-risk roles such as finance, HR, or IT, who may face more targeted attacks

Frequent, relevant reinforcement ensures that employees stay alert to evolving phishing tactics and maintain good habits over time. Aligning these activities with frameworks such as NIS2 or ISO 27001 also supports organizational compliance and a more mature security culture.

Measuring effectiveness involves tracking both behavioural and cultural indicators. SANS recommends monitoring:

• Reporting and click rates: How often employees click on or report simulated phishing emails. This includes using the SANS Normalised Reporting Score (NRS) — a metric that measures an organisation’s security awareness by subtracting the percentage of employees who failed a phishing simulation from the percentage who correctly reported the simulated email.
• Benchmarking performance: Comparing results against industry averages or peer organisations, as well as analysing performance across different phishing templates and difficulty levels.
• Trends over time: Whether click rates are decreasing and reporting rates are increasing.
• Real-world impact: Reduction in genuine phishing incidents or compromised accounts.
• Human Risk Score: A combined view of behavioural, reporting, and performance data that provides a measurable indicator of how effectively human risk is being managed and reduced.

When employees consistently report suspicious emails and fewer people fall for simulations, it’s a strong sign that training is reducing human risk and strengthening the organisation’s overall security culture.

Regular phishing awareness training delivers measurable business value. It:

• Reduces human risk: the likelihood of successful phishing attacks.
• Improves incident response times through faster reporting.
• Builds a culture of security where employees understand their role in protecting the organization.
• Supports compliance goals across frameworks like PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and NIST.

SANS Workforce Security & Risk Training ensures every employee, regardless of role, understands how their actions contribute to the organization’s overall security posture.