Cyber Awareness Challenge 2025: Key Answers

In 2025, the challenge of maintaining effective cyber security awareness has never been more critical. According to Verizon’s Data Breach Report, human error remains the weakest link – over 60% of data breaches are attributable to mistakes or social engineering exploits by employees​.

Attackers are leveraging new tactics and technologies (from AI-powered scams to psychological manipulation) to outsmart standard training. This puts Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) or IT managers on notice: building robust cyber awareness is now a strategic imperative, not just a compliance exercise.

The stakes are high – financial loss, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties – so an authoritative yet practical approach to security awareness is needed.

In this post, we outline an action-oriented plan addressing the major cyber awareness challenges of 2025 and offer key answers for decision-makers to elevate their programs.

Underestimated Cyber Threats in 2025

Even well-funded security programs can overlook certain threats. Below are some often-underestimated cyber threats that security awareness initiatives must address in 2025, along with why they matter and how to tackle them:

Insider Threats and Negligent Behavior

Not all attacks come from outsiders. Disgruntled or careless employees can inadvertently expose data or systems. For example, an employee might click a malicious link or misuse privileged access, causing a serious breach.

Emphasize insider threat awareness and enforce the principle of least privilege. Cultivate a culture where employees speak up about suspicious behavior without fear of reprisal.

Vishing, Smishing, and Multi-Channel Scams

Cyber criminals are expanding beyond email to phone calls and text messages. Voice phishing (vishing) and SMS phishing (smishing) are on the rise​, catching organizations off-guard. An imposter might call claiming to be IT support or send a text posing as a bank to steal credentials.

Employees should be trained to verify requests via secondary channels (e.g. call back a published number) and treat unsolicited calls/texts asking for sensitive info as potential scams.

Key awareness action: Run simulated vishing calls or fake SMS alerts in your security awareness program to test and train vigilance across communication channels.

Physical Security and Removable Media Attacks

In the age of cloud, many forget that a plugged-in USB stick can be as dangerous as a phishing email. Attackers have been known to drop infected thumb drives in parking lots hoping someone will pick them up.

Indeed, about 9% of security incidents have stemmed from lost or maliciously planted removable media​ (Source).

Employees must understand that security awareness includes the physical realm: not letting strangers tailgate into offices, securing documents, and never using unknown USB drives. Clear policies (and occasional “USB drop” tests) can reinforce this often overlooked threat.

Credential Theft & Password Exploits

A surprising number of breaches still originate from something as basic as stolen passwords. In fact, 81% of hacking-related breaches involve stolen or weak passwords​ (Source).

Attackers use leaked passwords from earlier data breaches or brute-force simple passwords to break in. MFA fatigue is another ploy: bombarding a user with authentication prompts until they approve one.

Many organizations assume their people understand password hygiene, but password reuse, poor complexity, and reflexively approving MFA requests remain rampant.

Security awareness training should hammer home the use of strong, unique passwords (or passphrases) and encourage tools like password managers and multi-factor authentication – while warning against MFA push attacks and suspicious login prompts. Consider a quick password-hardening workshop or interactive demo as part of your 2025 training curriculum.

Check our guide to learn how to start an MFA Phishing Simulation Campaign step by step.

Supply Chain and Third-Party Exploits

Threat actors increasingly target smaller partners or vendors to eventually breach a bigger company. For instance, an attacker might phish a vendor’s employee, then use those credentials to access the target company’s network.

This indirect attack vector is frequently underestimated. Train staff (especially those who manage vendor relationships) to verify unusual requests purportedly from partners and to treat security as a shared responsibility.

Simple practices like confirming wire transfer requests through a known contact can thwart business email compromise routed through a third party.

Pro Tip: Create a quick-reference checklist (as a one-page PDF or card) for employees that summarizes how to spot and handle these underestimated threats. For example, a checklist on “What to do if you get an odd phone call or USB drive” can reinforce training in the moment of need.

Evolving Human Factors in Security Awareness

Technology isn’t the only thing evolving – human factors in cybersecurity are changing rapidly in 2025. Successful cyber awareness programs recognize and adapt to these shifts in behavior and work culture:

Remote and Hybrid Work Vulnerabilities

With distributed teams now commonplace, employees often work outside the protective bubble of the office.

The physical separation makes it harder to “sense-check” suspicious situations with colleagues. An employee working from home might hesitate to call IT about a strange email, or they may miss subtle cues of a phishing attempt.

Isolation and lack of immediate support can lead to slower responses and riskier decisions. To counter this, provide easy channels for remote workers to get help (like a dedicated security Slack/Teams channel) and include remote-specific scenarios in training (e.g., secure Wi-Fi practices, using VPN, spotting phishing on personal devices).

Alert Fatigue and Information Overload

Modern professionals are inundated with emails, notifications, and security warnings. Overexposure can breed “alert fatigue” – people start tuning out genuine warnings because they are exposed to so many.

For instance, constant security pop-ups or frequent phishing tests without context can desensitize employees. Combat this by making security messages meaningful: prioritize quality over quantity in communications. Use concise, relatable content in awareness newsletters and ensure that truly critical alerts (like an active phishing campaign targeting the company) stand out with clear, urgent messaging.

Overconfidence in Technology (Automation Bias)

Paradoxically, as organizations deploy advanced security tech (AI-based email filters, endpoint detection, etc.), employees might become over-reliant on automated defenses. This leads to a mindset of “the system will catch it, so I don’t have to.”

In 2025, emphasize that human judgment is still important. For example, teach staff that while spam filters are good, they aren’t foolproof—if an email seems phishy, report it even if it slipped past the filter. Regular reminders that security is a shared responsibility help recalibrate this human-tech balance.

Work-Life Blur and Personal Device Use

The line between work and personal life has blurred. Employees may check work email on a personal tablet, or use a work laptop for personal browsing. This intermixing of contexts can cause security slip-ups (like saving work files to personal cloud drives or falling for phishing on personal email that impacts work).

An effective information security awareness program addresses holistic digital hygiene: guiding employees on securing home networks, updating personal software, and avoiding risky behavior on any device that touches company data. Consider adding a module on home office cyber safety to your 2025 training.

Human Stress and Social Engineering

Attackers often exploit emotions and cognitive biases – especially under stress. In high-pressure periods (end-of-quarter deadlines, holidays, or even global crises), people are more prone to err.

Awareness content should highlight how stress can cloud judgment and encourage a pause-&-verify habit. For instance, if a supposed “CEO email” demands an urgent fund transfer on a Friday at 5 PM, employees should double-check because attackers prey on end-of-week fatigue.

Fostering an organizational culture that promotes mindfulness and asking questions can turn these human factors into a strength rather than a weakness.

Psychological Engineering: Sophisticated Social Tactics

Cyber adversaries in 2025 are not just technologists – they are master manipulators of human psychology. This section covers advanced social engineering tactics (what we might call “psychological engineering”) that go beyond the basics, and how to inoculate your organization against them:

Deepfake Impersonations

The proliferation of deepfake technology – AI-generated audio or video that mimics real people – has introduced alarming new social engineering ploys. Imagine a CFO receiving a voicemail that sounds exactly like the CEO instructing them to transfer money, or a helpdesk employee getting a video call from someone who looks like a colleague requesting a password reset. These scenarios are no longer science fiction. In one real case, a CEO was scammed out of $243,000 by a deepfake voice pretending to be his boss​ (Source).

Key defense: Train staff to use out-of-band verification for sensitive requests (e.g., call back the person on a known number, or confirm via a second factor like a text). Raise awareness that audio or video alone cannot be trusted blindly in the era of AI – it’s okay to verify identities through multiple means.

Business Email Compromise (BEC) 2.0 – The Long Con

Social engineers are investing more time in crafting believable scams. Instead of a generic phishing email, BEC attackers research their targets in detail, even setting up fake domains and LinkedIn profiles to appear legitimate​.

In Business Email Compromise attacks, attackers might engage in an email conversation for weeks, slowly gaining trust before the ask (like a fraudulent invoice or wire transfer). Psychological manipulation techniques such as building rapport, mirroring language, and exploiting trust are employed to deadly effect. To counter this, educate employees – especially those in finance, HR, or executive assistant roles – on the typical signs of a con: requests for secrecy, slight inconsistencies in communications, or anything that pressures them to bypass standard procedures.

Encourage a verify-first policy: no matter how long someone has been emailing, a sudden request for money or data should trigger verification steps (like directly calling the supposed sender or consulting a supervisor).

Exploiting Authority and Urgency

A classic ploy that remains effective is playing on authority (e.g., “I’m your CEO, do this now”) and urgency (e.g., “We’ll lose a client if you don’t send the info immediately!”). What’s new is the level of polish – attackers craft these messages with convincing company-specific details, making them far more believable than the crude spam of years past.

Employee awareness training must include scenario-based exercises where employees practice resisting these pressure tactics. For example, run a drill where a phony “urgent request” from IT asks for admin access, and then debrief participants on the red flags they missed.

Reinforce that no legitimate authority will ever punish an employee for verifying an urgent request, but falling for a fake one could cost the company dearly.

Emotional and Psychological Triggers

Beyond authority, attackers leverage a spectrum of human emotions: fear, curiosity, greed, even kindness. Phishers might send scare-inducing emails (“Your account will be terminated, click now to secure it”) or play on empathy (pretending to be a friend in distress). These psychological triggers can short-circuit rational thinking. Incorporate into your security awareness program some micro-lessons on emotional intelligence – training staff to recognize when emotions are being manipulated.

For instance, teach the workforce to spot phrases that create panic or urgency and to take a moment to breathe and think before reacting. Simply pausing and asking “Could this be a trick?” can defuse many psychological tricks.

Check out our guide to learn more about phishing examples by emotional triggers.

Blended Online-Offline Social Engineering

Sophisticated attackers might combine online tactics with real-world actions. An example is pretexting, where an attacker might first gather personal info from social media, then call the help desk pretending to be that person and use those details to gain trust.

Or they might send a phishing email and then follow up with a phone call, referencing the email (“I sent you a link, did you get it?”) to add legitimacy.

Awareness training in 2025 should break down silos – employees need to understand that phone, email, in-person requests, social media can all be interconnected in a single attack plan. Developing a suspicious mindset across all interactions and having a unified policy for verifying identities, is key. For example, a badge and ID check for visitors (to counter tailgating pretexting) is just as important as email verifications.

Overlooked Training Gaps in 2025

Many organizations have security awareness programs, but common gaps can undermine their effectiveness. Here are critical areas where training often falls short, and how to close those gaps:

“Check-the-Box” Mentality

Too many programs aim only for compliance (e.g., an annual video to satisfy auditors) rather than true behavior change. This one-and-done approach is a major gap. Solution: Shift to a continuous learning model.

Break up training into year-round micro-learning modules and phishing simulations. Emphasize to staff and stakeholders that security awareness is a continuous process, not a yearly obligation. Management should communicate that the goal isn’t just to pass a quiz, but to integrate safe habits into daily work.

One-Size-Fits-All Content

A generic training module for all employees misses the mark. Different roles face different threats – for example, finance teams should get extra training on BEC scams, developers on secure coding awareness, etc. If your program doesn’t tailor content, that’s a gap. Solution: Introduce role-based training paths.

This could mean additional modules or workshops for high-risk departments, or simple customizations (like examples relevant to each role). Employees will find training far more engaging when scenarios reflect their actual job context.

Lack of Engagement and Interactive Learning

Traditional awareness videos and slides can be dry and forgettable. If training isn’t engaging, employees will tune out.

Incorporate interactive elements – quizzes, games, or even friendly competitions. Many organizations are now using gamified cybersecurity challenges or escape-room style workshops to make learning fun.

Hands-on activities (like a mock phishing email where users have to “spot the red flags”) can dramatically improve retention. Don’t overlook the power of storytelling as well – share brief anecdotes of real incidents (anonymized) within the company or industry to make the lessons hit home.

Ignoring the Aftermath of Mistakes

What happens if an employee falls for a phishing test or even a real phishing email? In some places, the response is shaming or silent scorn – which is counterproductive.

A gap in many programs is not teaching employees how to respond to incidents they may cause or encounter.

Foster a blame-free reporting culture. Make it clear in training that if someone clicks a bad link or sees something suspicious, the first action should be to report it immediately, without fear. Incorporate instructions on how to report a security incident and assure employees that quick reporting can greatly reduce damage. Some companies even turn phishing fails into coaching sessions rather than punishments, which encourages honesty and improvement.

Insufficient Coverage of Emerging Threats

The threat landscape evolves quickly (as this article’s earlier sections show), yet some awareness programs are slow to update. If your training still doesn’t mention things like phishing via text, deepfakes, or social media scams, you have a relevancy gap.

Refresh content regularly – at least annually – to include new threat scenarios. Leverage threat intelligence from your security team to inform awareness materials. For instance, if there’s news of a new social engineering scam hitting your industry, send out a quick alert to employees about how it works and how to avoid it.

Keeping training material current not only improves security, it also signals to employees that the program is serious and up-to-date (not stale and easy to ignore).

Limited Leadership Involvement

Often, security awareness is seen as an “employee issue,” and executives or IT leaders may not actively participate. This is a missed opportunity and a gap in itself. Employees take cues from the top – if they see leaders skipping training or not following policies, the importance of awareness is undermined.

Leadership should champion awareness initiatives. Have executives visibly attend training sessions, mention cybersecurity in company meetings, and even share their own learning moments (like “I almost fell for a clever scam last week…”). Such involvement reinforces that security awareness is everyone’s responsibility.

Visit our blog to understand more about the significance of executives in security awareness training initiatives.

AI-Driven Social Engineering: The New Frontier

One of the most game-changing developments in 2025 is the use of artificial intelligence in social engineering attacks. Cybersecurity awareness must evolve to address these AI-driven threats head-on:

Automated, Polished Phishing at Scale

Gone are the days of obvious, broken-English phishing emails. Attackers can now use AI language models to generate flawless, persuasive phishing messages that are nearly indistinguishable from genuine communications.

With tools like ChatGPT (and underground variants like “WormGPT” reportedly being used by cybercriminals), even low-skilled hackers can craft convincing scams en masse. This means employees can no longer rely on old giveaways like poor grammar or generic greetings.

Make sure your awareness materials stress content over form when detecting phish – e.g., focus on verifying the request and sender via known channels, rather than just appearance. Consider showing side-by-side examples of a poorly written phishing email vs. an AI-crafted one to illustrate the new level of sophistication.

Deepfake Videos and Real-Time Audio Cloning

As mentioned earlier, AI can clone voices and even create live video deepfakes. What’s especially concerning is this tech getting easier to use. We may soon see “real-time” deepfake calls, where an attacker can have a two-way conversation while sounding like someone else.

Security drills should expand to include these possibilities: for instance, perform a role-play exercise where someone receives a call from a “VIP” and must follow verification protocols. Emphasize policies like callback verification, secret passphrases for sensitive transactions, or multi-person approval for high-risk actions. The key message: trust, but verify, no matter how convincing the voice or video.

AI-Powered Personalization and Reconnaissance

AI can sift through social media, LinkedIn, and public data to quickly assemble detailed profiles on employees. That information can then be used to personalize attacks. For example, an attacker’s AI might find out that Alice in marketing recently attended a specific conference and then send her a phishing email referencing a fake file from that event.

This level of personalization can dramatically increase success rates because the phishing content appears contextually relevant. Educate your team about the dangers of oversharing online (an element of information security awareness that often gets forgotten).

Also, train them to scrutinize emails that seem “too relevant” or oddly specific – it could be a sign of AI-curated bait. When an email includes personal details or references, it’s worth taking an extra minute to confirm its legitimacy.

Check out our blog to learn more about AI-driven phishing attacks and how they work.

Malicious Chatbots and AI Assistants

With AI chatbots deployed on websites and messaging platforms, there’s a new twist on social engineering: a seemingly helpful chatbot could actually be malicious or manipulated.

Attackers might create fake customer support chatbots that phish for information, or compromise legitimate AI assistants to give harmful instructions (imagine a hacked voice assistant telling a user to install a “security update” that is actually malware).

This is a burgeoning threat vector. To counter it, raise awareness that not every chatbot or automated message can be trusted. Employees should verify with a human when odd requests or guidance come from an AI agent. For example, if a “support bot” in a SaaS app asks for your password or sends a file, that should ring alarm bells. Incorporate scenarios in training where users must decide if an AI interaction is trustworthy.

Defensive AI vs. Offensive AI – Staying Ahead

It’s worth noting that AI isn’t only helping attackers; it aids defenders, too. Many organizations use AI to detect anomalies and block attacks. However, awareness training should convey that technology is not infallible and that attackers will try to outwit defensive AI (perhaps by subtly changing their tactics to avoid detection).

Encourage a mindset of “assume breach” or “assume deception” where employees remain vigilant even when security tools are in place. For instance, if an email passes the spam filter, it doesn’t guarantee safety. By keeping staff alert to the possibility of AI-augmented threats, you create a human firewall ready to catch what tools might miss.

Post-Training Evaluation and Reinforcement Strategies

Having a cutting-edge security awareness program is only half the battle – measuring its effectiveness and reinforcing lessons are crucial to truly uplift your organization’s cyber resilience. Here’s how to ensure your training is making an impact and continuously improving:

Simulated Phishing Attacks and Drills

Don’t just train once – test continuously. Regular phishing simulation campaigns (monthly or quarterly) are a staple: they keep employees on their toes and provide concrete data on who might need extra help. Extend phishing simulations beyond email too – consider using best phishing simulators like phone scam simulation, callback phishing simulation or USB drop tests to cover the full spectrum of threats.

The goal is not to "catch people out" for punishment, but to identify weaknesses and coach. After each simulation, share anonymized results and lessons learned with the team (e.g., “20% clicked the last test – here’s what we’ll do to improve…”). This transparency builds collective awareness.

Track Key Metrics

Define metrics that matter to your security awareness objectives, and monitor them over time. Some useful metrics include phishing email click rates, report rates, completion rates of training, and even qualitative measures like employee self-reported confidence in handling threats. Use these metrics to pinpoint where to focus next. For example, if the click-through rate on phishing tests is dropping but the report rate isn’t rising, employees might be deleting suspicious emails but not reporting them – indicating a need to emphasize reporting. Below is a sample of key metrics and their significance:

Table 1: Example metrics to evaluate security awareness program effectiveness.

Use such metrics to celebrate improvements or address stagnation. For instance, if click rates remain high in one department, that group might need a targeted workshop or one-on-one training.

Read our guide to learn about Protection Level Agreements and their importance for your business.

Additionally, review this article to discover the best metrics for evaluating security awareness.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement

Treat your security awareness program as a living, iterative process. Gather feedback directly from employees – what lessons have stuck? Which training modules were confusing or dull? You can use quick surveys or focus groups.

Often, employees will tell you if they still feel unsure about certain threats. Use this data to refine your content and approach. Additionally, stay tuned to the cybersecurity landscape; if a new type of scam emerges, rapidly incorporate it into your training or communications. By creating a loop of train → test → measure → feedback → adjust, you ensure the program stays effective and relevant.

Reinforcement and Recognition

Learning decays if not reinforced. Besides simulations, keep awareness alive through periodic refreshers: monthly security tips, posters (digital or physical) highlighting key practices, and discussions in team meetings.

Encourage managers to do quick “security minutes” in their staff meetings (e.g., discuss a recent phishing attempt and how it was handled). On the positive side, recognize and reward good security behavior. Gamify reporting by praising the first person to report a phishing test, or give a shout-out to teams with the most improved phishing simulation performance. Small incentives (even just recognition in a newsletter) can boost engagement and show that cyber awareness is valued

Post-Incident Reviews

Whenever a security incident does occur, especially those involving some human element, conduct a blameless post-mortem. Analyze how and why it happened and feed those insights back into training.

For example, if a real phishing email fooled someone, share the (anonymized) story company-wide: What made it convincing? How was it detected? What corrective actions are being taken? This turns unfortunate incidents into teachable moments and reinforces the training with reality. It also demonstrates transparency and commitment to improvement.

Keepnet Extended Human Risk Management: Beyond Compliance

2025 is the year to elevate your cyber awareness initiatives from a mere checkbox item to a dynamic, culture-driving force. Cyber threats are evolving faster than ever, exploiting human behavior in ways that outdated training simply can’t keep up with. The cost of complacency? Data breaches, reputational loss, regulatory fines, and worst of all—broken trust.

This is where Keepnet’s Human Risk Management Platform steps in—not just to help you comply, but to empower your people to protect.

With Keepnet, CISOs and IT leaders gain the tools to deliver personalized, engaging, and outcome-driven security awareness training that aligns with real-world threats. Whether it’s simulated phishing, vishing, smishing, or deepfake scenarios, Keepnet equips your workforce to recognize and respond to the most advanced attacks in 2025. Our platform enables continuous evaluation through advanced risk scoring, behavioral analytics, and automated response workflows, ensuring your efforts go beyond theory and into lasting behavior change.

So, ask yourself:

Is your current security awareness program just satisfying audit requirements, or is it actively reducing human risk?

The key answers are now in front of you. But awareness without action is still a vulnerability.

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue—it’s a people issue. And people don’t need more lectures—they need the right tools, timely nudges, and transformative experiences that foster long-term vigilance.

With Keepnet, you’re not just training employees.

You’re building a security-aware culture—one human at a time.