How to raise security awareness at work via video training
Written by Laura Alexander | 10th April 2024
Employee mistakes remain the driving force behind cybersecurity woes.
Human errors are, by definition, not intentional. However, one could argue that the system is rigged and has faults, allowing errors to occur in the first place.
One way to address the cybersecurity at work issue is to raise awareness. Employees are at the forefront of corporate cyberwar. The odds of further human errors increase if they lack the necessary training.
Some employees are tech-savvy enough to understand the basics, but knowing the basics barely covers all the potential threats. And those employees without prior experience with cybersecurity have to start with a crash course on the basics.
According to studies, roughly 9 out of 10 data breaches occur because of human error.
The question is—how do we approach cybersecurity training in an engaging and effective way? Video training could be the answer.
Benefits of animated cybersecurity training videos
Animated training videos have multiple benefits to them. Companies have an easier time cultivating engagement from employees thanks to the following:
- The ability to provide instant feedback after watching a video and sharing fresh thoughts;
- Being time-efficient and choosing where and when to watch the videos;
- Backtracking and learning at your own pace;
- Repeating and easily rewatching specific video parts to get a better understanding of the learning material;
In addition to the benefits, animated videos excel in colorful visuals and animations.
Keeping engagement and information retention high is much easier when the content is colorful and easy to digest.
Complicated concepts don’t appear as intimidating when the training video content explains things in layman’s terms, complemented with visuals.
How to plan out cybersecurity training videos
Organizations don’t need dedicated training video software to create effective videos. Solutions like simpleshow will suffice since you can make the most out of AI to transform your idea into a compelling training video.
Still, planning the training video creation process is imperative to ensure its effectiveness.
Watch this video to see the Simplifier in action:
Figure out the training needs
Consulting with the experts is the first step to creating effective training videos. Your company’s IT department should have more than enough valuable information to share.
People who take care of technical issues like internet connection and sluggish devices interact with other employees. These interactions help determine blind cybersecurity spots colleagues have.
IT experts will share their main concerns and explain particular areas a company must prioritize.
Training video topics
Cybersecurity is a broad industry that contains a lot of details. Ideally, your animated training videos should be a series that covers as many of the basics as possible. Areas that require extra attention can be expanded upon later.
Some employees might need to learn how to create and maintain a proper password policy to protect login credentials. Others might need an explanation on how to scan MacBook for viruses and eliminate corrupted files from the device.
In smaller organizations, supervisors have the luxury of talking to more employees in person to collect feedback and organize training video creation.
Larger companies don’t have such luxury, but they can still make do by avoiding cognitive overload and prioritizing high-quality explanations.
Tips for creating cybersecurity training videos
Once a company knows what it wants in its animated video training, it’s up to the person responsible for video creation to ensure that the available resources are used.
To begin with, don’t overwhelm employees with too much information. Incorporate the microlearning methodology that revolves around sharing information in small bursts.
The videos should be segmented and short, lasting from around half a minute to a few minutes tops.
Each of these short videos should cover a specific topic related to cybersecurity at work. Make sure to put password management together with email scams.
Add interactivity to make the videos more interesting and memorable. Integrate a learning platform to run multiple-choice quizzes after each video ends.
Also, remember to add real-life examples and statistics to emphasize specific points and create a seamless viewing experience.
Closing thoughts
Showing the animated training videos is not the end. Organizations should also consider measuring video effectiveness. They could organize a security awareness test to determine whether the end-user security awareness improved on average.
A reward system for completing cybersecurity training modules or showing clear improvement could go a long way as well.
Finally, why not host a trivia game to test employees’ mettle in cybersecurity? Online quizzes or live competitions are fun and provide a nice way to refresh knowledge.
Author's bio
Laura Alexander is a freelance digital content manager and copywriter. She specializes in tech, e-commerce, and educational content.
