5 Reasons Cybersecurity Training Is No Longer Optional

Cybersecurity training helps individuals and employees identify online threats so they can be mitigated on time. This training helps both individuals and businesses protect their sensitive information and systems online. Having a basic sort of cybersecurity training is essential for everyone who uses or interacts with a digital device.

However, many people overlook the importance of this training. They perceived it as too technical, boring, or burdensome compared to their job duties. In contrast, the reality is opposite when it comes to basics. That is why human error is a prime reason behind cybersecurity incidents happening today.

In this blog post, we will share five compelling reasons to understand why cybersecurity training is no longer an option.

Reason 1. Cybercrime Escalation

As you know, the digital landscape is expanding day by day. Smart devices now take over many of the repetitive tasks we used to perform manually. But as the digital landscape is increasing, threats are expanding too. According to an estimate by Statista, in 2025, cybercrimes will cost around 10.29 trillion USD.

This number is enormous. If we say that cybercrime has now become a multi-billion-dollar industry, then it would not be wrong. Businesses, especially large enterprises, now receive thousands of attack attempts on a daily basis.

And these attacks are not the ordinary ones of the old days, which are easily spotted due to bad grammar. Hackers now make use of advanced hacking kits powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Using them, they:

Generate deepfake content (voices, images, videos)

Make fake landing/checkout/login pages

Clone websites that are difficult to distinguish from the original ones

Why Training Matters Here?

You might be wondering if cyberthreats have increased over time, considering that modern security solutions have also entered the market.

However, no matter how advanced or modern the software or firewall you use for online protection, it can still be breached by sophisticated attacks. That is why human involvement will always remain a critical line of defense.

If you or your employees have completed cyber security training, they will be able to perform a DNS lookup to identify phishing emails. They will be able to recognize other suspicious patterns and implement best practices to bypass hacking attempts on their systems.

Reason 2. Human Errors Are the Biggest Cyberthreat

In the previous discussion, we mentioned that human involvement will always be the critical line of defense against cyber threats. But at the same time, the most significant cause of cyberattacks is not the line of code that hackers write. It’s the error made by we humans.

Yes, you read that right. We, humans, are the most significant cause of such attacks, primarily due to a lack of cybersecurity training. ITPro mentioned in one of their articles that 41% of cyber incidents occur because of the lack of employee training.

Many cybersecurity breaches begin with a human unknowingly clicking on a malicious link or downloading an infected attachment. It is easy for cybercriminals to trap people into clicking on suspicious links rather than breaking firewalls.

And the majority of this is done via phishing emails. These emails appear legitimate to recipients, prompting them to click on the link to proceed further. But in reality, these emails came from fake domains that can be identified by performing a DNS lookup. However, many people are unaware of this due to a lack of training, and as a result, they fall into the trap.

Importance of Training Here

Technical defenses cannot entirely prevent human mistakes. What really makes the difference is awareness and habit-building. According to the global cybersecurity outlook 2025 shared by the World Economic Forum, only 14% of organizations have talent with essential knowledge about cybersecurity. The report also mentions that two-thirds of the world's organizations are vulnerable to cyberattacks because of a lack of training.

Regular cybersecurity training teaches employees how to recognize suspicious links, create strong passwords, and handle sensitive data carefully. And this is the thing that turns us (humans) from the “weakest link” into the first line of defense.

Reason 3. Remote & Hybrid Work Environment

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed a significant shift in the work environment. Many businesses have adopted remote and hybrid work environments.

Yet, remote and hybrid working do offer flexibility to both employees and companies. However, it also comes with specific cybersecurity challenges.

According to statistics shared by WiFi talents:

• 68% of people who work remotely are concerned about the security risks associated with using public Wi-Fi networks for work.
• 57% of remote workers have not received any cybersecurity training from their employers.
• 85% of the cyberincidents involving data breaches have a human element involved.

In the office, IT teams can control the network, devices, and security protocols. But while working at home or in a coffee shop that control vanishes.

Employees often connect to work systems using home Wi-Fi routers that may not be adequately secured, or public hotspots where hackers can easily intercept data.

How Can Cybersecurity Training Protect?

Companies cannot lock or implement security measures on the home networks of all employees. But they can provide them with cybersecurity training that can help prevent both their network and online assets from being compromised.

For example, many of the attacks on the home network of employees are carried out by ports that are left unnecessarily open. Using those ports, hackers can carry out port scan attacks and penetrate a business service (e.g., work portal, LMS, etc.) running on the employee network.

If employees are trained to use online tools such as a port checker, they can identify and close unnecessary open ports, thereby preventing cyberattacks.

Reason 4. Strict Regulatory and Legal Requirements

Cybersecurity is not just about protecting your personal or your business’s data. It is actually now a legal requirement. Governments around the world have now introduced strict regulations for companies to ensure that they protect their customers' information carefully.

In simple terms, it is now up to businesses to protect their customers' data; otherwise, they will face legal troubles. For example, they can get GDPR penalties that can cost them millions of dollars.

Moreover, non-compliance with these regulations by business employees can lead to the loss of certifications or being barred from working with specific industries.

How Training Can Help?

No business will intentionally break cybersecurity regulations. However, they often face penalties because their employees unknowingly break rules. All because they are unaware of it due to a lack of training.

That is why regulators now also require businesses to prove that they train employees regularly on cybersecurity awareness. This includes teaching them:

• How to handle sensitive data
• Recognize phishing attempts
• Follow proper reporting procedures
• Implement cybersecurity protocols

In simple terms, having proper cybersecurity protects you, your business, and employees from legal troubles, as well as your customers' data, which is crucial for maintaining business trust and reputation.

Reason 5. Protecting Reputation and Customer Trust

Cybersecurity threats to businesses extend beyond financial loss. It puts the customers' data at stake, which, if breached, can result in severe losses beyond legal actions.

Customer data breaches put the reputations of businesses at risk and lead to negative publicity. As a result, companies will start losing their customers, and new ones will turn to such a business, with no chance at all.

How Can Cybersecurity Training Protect?

Cybersecurity training helps in protecting business reputation and customer trust by building a human firewall. As we described earlier, when business employees are trained for cybersecurity, fewer cyber incidents will occur, which could otherwise damage a brand's reputation and erode customer confidence.

Cyber Incidents Caused by Lack of Training

To further illustrate the importance of cybersecurity training, we have shared real-world cases below. These are the ones that involve the human element and could be avoided if employees are adequately trained.

1. Port of Seattle - A Half-Million-Dollar Phishing Loss

A few years back, an employee at the Port of Seattle got two phishing emails. The email appeared to be legitimate, as it came from the company’s CEO. Inside the email, a cybercriminal impersonating themselves as the CEO requested an immediate wire transfer of around $570,000.

That employee lacks cybersecurity training and fails to detect the email as fake. Instead, the employee went ahead and transferred around $570,000 to a fraudulent account.

Luckily, quick action allowed most of the money to be recovered. But the incident exposed how vulnerable even a single employee lacking cybersecurity training can make an organization.

After the incident, the company made it compulsory for all employees to have the necessary cybersecurity training.

2. Upsher-Smith Laboratories – $39 Million CEO Fraud

In this incident, attackers posed as senior executives and sent spoofed emails with fake invoices to the accounts payable department.

An employee lacking cybersecurity training approved and processed the transfers. This resulted in a nearly $39 million wire transfer to cybercriminals before the scam was discovered.

If that employee had been trained on business email compromise and had basic knowledge of email spoofing, the incident could have been prevented.

3. Dallas Police Department – Data Loss from Poor IT Training

In the Dallas Police Department, during a data migration project, an untrained employee accidentally deleted 8 million files (24 terabytes of data) from police servers. The files included:

• Critical case records
• Video evidence
• Legal material

Because employees weren’t trained to double-check and validate migrations, the files were lost permanently. This illustrates that cybersecurity is not only about hacking. Poor or no training can also lead to catastrophic data loss.

4. Marks & Spencer (M&S) – £300 Million Supply Chain Attack

In 2025, UK retailer Marks & Spencer suffered a devastating ransomware attack. The attack came through a phishing email sent to a supplier (third party).

The malware spread to M&S systems, disrupting operations and causing an estimated £300 million loss in profits.

What do we learn from this?

Training both staff and third-party partners in phishing awareness could have stopped the breach before it spread to the broader supply chain.

5. Target – Breach via Third-Party Vendor

In 2013, U.S. retail giant Target suffered a massive data breach. This breach exposed 40 million credit and debit card records and the personal data of 70 million customers.

The attackers gained access through a third-party HVAC vendor working with Target. This vendor’s employees fell victim to a phishing attack, giving attackers network credentials.

Because the vendor wasn’t trained to recognize phishing emails and didn’t enforce proper security hygiene, the attackers slipped in.

Once inside, they used these credentials to move laterally within Target’s network and installed malware on the point-of-sale (POS) systems.

The incident cost Target around $18.5 million. Plus, enormous reputational damage and regulatory fines. Customers lost trust, and Target’s brand suffered for years.

Lesson for You

Cybersecurity training should extend beyond just your internal team. Vendors, suppliers, and contractors must also follow strict training and security protocols, since one weak link can compromise the entire chain.

How Keepnet Cyber Security Training Helps

The majority of cyber incidents online occur due to simple errors made by humans. Cybersecurity training is important for us, people living in the digital era. It helps protect the personal and sensitive information of individuals online. Here is how Keepnet cyber security training helps:

Adaptive and Personalized Learning

Keepnet delivers tailored awareness training that adapts to each employee’s role, risk level, and learning style. By aligning lessons with real-world threats—such as phishing, vishing, QR code attacks, and MFA fatigue—employees receive content that feels relevant and actionable.

Multi-Channel Phishing Simulations

Unlike traditional providers, Keepnet offers diverse phishing simulations across multiple channels: voice (vishing), SMS (smishing), QR phishing, and MFA push attacks. This variety ensures employees are trained to spot modern threats beyond just email phishing.

Gamification and Engagement

Keepnet integrates gamification elements, leaderboards, and micro-learning modules to keep employees engaged. These methods improve knowledge retention and make compliance-driven training feel more like a challenge than a chore.

Real-Time Risk Reduction

Through continuous testing and reporting, Keepnet provides instant feedback and nudges after risky behavior. This helps reduce human error quickly and encourages behavioral change without waiting for annual training cycles.

Analytics and Human Risk Management

At the core of Keepnet’s platform is its Agentic Human Risk Management approach. Security leaders gain deep visibility into employee risk scores, training performance, and phishing susceptibility. This empowers CISOs and IT leaders to track progress, benchmark maturity, and prove ROI to the board.

Seamless Integration & SCORM Proxy

Keepnet integrates smoothly into existing IT and HR systems. With SCORM Proxy, organizations can deploy Keepnet’s content inside any LMS without compatibility headaches—avoiding duplication of effort and reducing training costs.

Compliance and Localization

Keepnet helps global enterprises stay compliant with regulatory frameworks (GDPR, ISO, HIPAA, etc.) and offers localized training in multiple languages. This ensures cultural and linguistic relevance for international teams.

Keepnet Cyber Security Training combines innovation (AI, multi-channel simulations, gamification) with enterprise-grade features (analytics, SCORM, compliance, localization) to reduce human risk and strengthen organizational resilience.