Security awareness training teaches employees to spot and report threats such as phishing emails, usually through short, regular lessons and simulated phishing tests. It matters because people are involved in most breaches. Start with a baseline phishing test, then keep short sessions going through the year.
Most cyberattacks don’t begin with someone cracking a firewall. They begin with an email that looks like it’s from the bank, the boss or a supplier. The numbers back that up. Verizon’s 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report found the human element involved in 62% of breaches, as summarized by eSecurityPlanet. Technology matters, but so do the people sitting in front of it.
What is security awareness training?
Security awareness training teaches employees to recognize and report threats such as phishing emails, fake invoices and suspicious login requests. Good programs run in short, regular sessions and include simulated phishing emails, so people practise on realistic examples before a real attack arrives. The goal is better habits, not blame.
Why does it matter for a small business?
Because attackers go where the effort is lowest, and a busy inbox is low effort. A few figures worth knowing:
| Finding | Source |
|---|---|
| The human element was involved in 62% of breaches in 2025 | Verizon 2026 DBIR, via eSecurityPlanet |
| Ransomware was present in 48% of breaches | Verizon 2026 DBIR |
| Mobile devices saw click rates 40% higher than email, as attackers shift to texts and calls | Verizon 2026 DBIR |
| Canadian organizations averaged CA$6.98 million per breach; breaches that began with phishing averaged CA$7.91 million | IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2025, Canada |
Sources: Verizon DBIR; eSecurityPlanet; IBM Canada. The IBM averages come from a global study of 600 organizations that had a breach, so a smaller business’s costs will differ, but one incident can still be very hard to absorb.
What does good training look like?
Most people have sat through one long compliance video a year and forgotten it by lunch. The version that sticks looks different:
| What doesn’t work | What does |
|---|---|
| One long video once a year | Short sessions spread through the year |
| Generic examples | Examples that match what your staff really receive: invoices, shared documents, delivery notices |
| Singling out people who click | Coaching on the spot, and thanks for reporting |
| No clear way to report | A one-click way to flag a suspicious email |
| Nobody looks at the results | Click and report rates tracked over time |
Verizon’s own guidance on preventing breaches lists training employees to spot phishing alongside multi-factor authentication and keeping software updated (Verizon DBIR FAQ).
Training is one layer of a wider plan. Our complete guide to cybersecurity shows how awareness, technical controls and monitoring fit together, and our post on why your business needs cybersecurity covers the basics.
How do phishing simulations work?
- Baseline. Send a realistic test email to staff and see who clicks.
- Coach. Anyone who clicks lands on a short explanation of the warning signs they missed.
- Repeat. Vary the scenario: a fake invoice, a shared-file request, a password reset notice.
- Report. Track the click rate and, just as important, how many people report the email. Share trends with the team, not names.
The point is practice. People learn to spot the oddities, like a slightly wrong sender address, an urgent tone or a link that doesn’t match its label, the same way they learn anything else: by seeing them often enough.
Where should you start?
- Pick one person to own the program, even if your IT provider runs the tools.
- Run a baseline phishing test so you know where you are today.
- Set a rhythm you can keep, such as a short lesson monthly or quarterly with simulations in between.
- Pair it with the technical basics. Training doesn’t replace multi-factor authentication, patching or backups. Our guide to zero trust, MFA and single sign-on covers the access side.
That last point matters. The same Verizon report found software vulnerabilities, not phishing, were the most common way in last year, at 31% of breaches. People and systems both need attention. For a practical checklist aimed at smaller organizations, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security publishes baseline controls for small and medium organizations.
How we help London businesses train their teams
Western I.T. Group is a managed IT provider based in London, Ontario. Staff training sits alongside the technical protection in our WIT Protect cybersecurity service. For a wider view of planning, see our ultimate guide to cybersecurity planning for businesses.
Curious how your team would do?
We can walk you through what’s included, how the simulated phishing emails work and what it would look like for your team size. If you’d like, we can start with a baseline phishing test. Book a walkthrough with our London team, or call 519-936-8985. Western I.T. Group is at 415 Hamilton Road in London, Ontario.
Frequently asked questions
How often should employees get security awareness training?
Short sessions spread through the year work better than one long annual session. Many organizations run a brief lesson monthly or quarterly, with phishing simulations in between. The right rhythm depends on your team and how much risk you carry.
Will phishing simulations upset my staff?
They can if they’re introduced badly. Tell people in advance that simulations are part of the program, keep individual results private, and treat a click as a coaching moment rather than a disciplinary one.
Does security awareness training actually reduce risk?
It reduces one kind of risk, people being tricked, and Verizon lists training employees to spot phishing among its recommended steps. It works best alongside multi-factor authentication, patching and backups rather than in place of them.
How much time does it take?
Each session is typically a few minutes, and your IT provider can handle the setup, scheduling and reporting so it doesn’t land on your desk.
What should an employee do with a suspicious email?
Don’t click anything or reply. Report it using the method your business has set up, and tell IT straight away if a link has already been clicked or details have been entered.