Cyber Security Awareness Training for Employees: 12 Free Courses & PPTs (2025)

In 2025, rapidly evolving cyber threats will make cybersecurity awareness training for employees a mission-critical priority. At Keepnet, we tackle this problem with a holistic suite of simulations—phishing, vishing, and smishing—and behavior-based modules. Our data shows that consistent, relevant training can reduce human risk by up to 90%. Learn how to transform your employees into your strongest security asset.

What is Cyber Security Awareness for Employees?

Cyber security awareness training for employees means teaching staff how to spot and neutralize threats—whether phishing links or ransomware attachments. Keepnet tailors this training to each user group, ensuring maximum impact.

You could think of it as the definition of cybersecurity awareness training for employees —a program designed to teach them how to spot phishing attempts, protect sensitive data, and follow best practices when using digital systems. It’s all about creating a security-conscious culture within the organization.

The impact of employee security training is undeniable—companies that engage in regular employee cyber safety programs experience a 70% reduction in incidents. In comparison, trained employees are 30% less likely to click on phishing links. For instance, a retail client using Keepnet’s solutions reduced phishing-related incidents by 89% within 12 months, safeguarding critical assets and enhancing operational resilience. These figures highlight the necessity of consistent, targeted cyber training for fostering a secure workplace.

Keepnet’s Human Risk Management platform ensures effective cyber security awareness training for employees in 2025, equipping them to detect and report attacks.

Watch the YouTube video below and learn how 2025’s cybersecurity awareness training empowers employees to become your first line of defense!

Why Organizations Need Cyber Security Awareness Training for Their Employees

According to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 60% of cybersecurity incidents happen because of simple human mistakes. That's right—most breaches don’t come from super-sophisticated attacks but from errors anyone could make. That’s why cyber security awareness training for employees is so important.

In 2025, employees are encountering 8 times more AI-generated phishing emails than in 2023 (Keepnet Research). These attacks are more sophisticated, personalized, and harder to detect, making regular cybersecurity awareness training a necessity, not a luxury.

Organizations that invest in continuous security awareness training see tangible improvements in their security posture. For example, companies implementing Keepnet’s weekly 90-second microlearning sessions achieved:

• 73% fewer phishing clicks, significantly reducing the risk of credential theft.
• 58% faster incident reporting, allowing IT teams to contain threats before they escalate.
• 85% increase in employee engagement, as interactive and scenario-based training enhances retention.
• Reduction in malware infections and ransomware incidents, as employees learn to spot and report suspicious activity.
• Improved compliance with industry regulations, helping organizations meet security standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001.

These bite-sized, engaging videos simulate actual cyber threats, reinforcing best practices in a memorable and effective way.

With regular security awareness training for employees, businesses can see up to a 70% drop in security incidents. Keepnet’s monthly refreshers ensure employees never forget best practices.

So, in 2025, that commitment to ongoing cyber security training and awareness is essential for keeping your business secure.

Cybersecurity Awareness Training For Employees

Below are twelve cybersecuriy awareness training courses that you can use for your employees. You can drop these micro-training awareness education courses straight into any cybersecurity awareness training program. Each awareness training runs under three minutes, keeps attention high, and fits neatly into newsletters, LMS modules, or lunch-and-learn security awareness sessions.

1. Huge Vishing Scam Uncovered in Europe

Europe’s biggest phone-fraud ring stole more than €8 million by impersonating banks and even law-enforcement officers. This two-minute episode in our free cybersecurity awareness training series shows how one “urgent” call convinced thousands of victims to move their life savings to a so-called “secure” account. Viewers learn the tell-tale signs of voice phishing—caller-ID spoofing, pressure to act fast, and requests to “verify” funds—and discover the five steps every employee should follow before sharing information.

Add this clip to your security awareness training for employees playlist to reinforce why independent callbacks and bank-issued contact numbers are non-negotiable. Perfect for rolling out as part of a free staff awareness training day or inside any cybersecurity awareness training program.

Europe’s biggest phone-fraud ring becomes a two-minute case study that your cybersecurity awareness training program can’t miss. Staff see exactly how caller-ID spoofing, fear of frozen funds, and the promise of a “secure account” coaxed thousands into parting with their life savings, reinforcing the value of independent callbacks and bank-verified numbers in every security awareness training program .

Next Steps: Put the insight into action by running a voice-phishing simulation from a spoofed number, tracking who shares one-time codes, and following up with a refresher email that links back to the clip. Record before-and-after results in your Human Risk dashboard to show how free employee cybersecurity awareness training slashes vishing exposure.

2. Don’t Get Tricked by SMS Phishing Attacks

An “urgent” text—claiming to be from the IT department—fooled several employees into handing over their credentials and opened the door to a costly data breach. This quick-hit video belongs in every free cybersecurity awareness training playlist: it breaks down how smishing exploits urgency, shows the exact wording attackers used, and walks viewers through three simple checks that stop the scam cold. Ideal as a free employee cybersecurity awareness training module, it reinforces mobile security during lunch-and-learns, micro-courses, or any cyber security awareness training free initiative your team runs.

This short awareness video reveals how a single “urgent IT” text sidestepped perimeter tools and triggered a costly breach. Viewers of this free security awareness training learn the three quick checks—link preview, sender validation and policy recall—that shut smishing down before credentials are lost.

Next Steps: Follow up by launching a smishing test company-wide, then add an SMS-report button to your incident-response portal. Reinforce the habit by dropping the video link into your weekly cybersecurity awareness training newsletter.

3. Employee Loses $32 K to Sophisticated Phone Scam

This real-world case study, featured in our free cybersecurity awareness training series, shows how a single, believable “bank” call emptied an employee’s account and snowballed into a full-scale data breach. Attackers spoofed caller-ID, created urgency, and captured one-time codes—then pivoted inside the network to steal customer credit-card and Social-Security data. The fallout? Identity-theft fears, shaken customer trust, and months of costly remediation.

After watching, learners in your free security awareness training for employees will be able to:

• Spot the red-flag phrases scammers use to pressure transfers
• Insist on an independent callback before sharing codes or funds.
• Report suspicious activity immediately—key to limiting breach impact.

Use this free employee cybersecurity awareness training, add it to your staff awareness training newsletter, or drop it into your LMS as a micro-lesson within a broader cyber security awareness training free program. It drives home why voice verification protocols and code confidentiality are non-negotiable in modern cyber defense.

From spoofed bank calls to downstream customer-data theft, this real-life phone scam shows why code confidentiality and voice verification belong at the heart of modern cybersecurity awareness training. Employees witness the entire attack chain and grasp the high price of a single slip.

Next Steps: Translate the lesson into policy: any request over $1,000 now triggers a mandatory pause-and-callback. Audit compliance 30 days later and spotlight 100%-adherent teams in your staff awareness training channel.

4. Employee Loses $32 K to a Sophisticated Phone Scam

This gripping real-life vishing attack example is a standout module in our free cybersecurity awareness training for employees. Posing as a bank representative, a scammer exploited urgency and trust to coax an employee into revealing one-time security codes—draining $32,000 through a burst of overseas transactions. The story shows how a single voice-phishing call can cascade into major financial loss and reputational damage.

Learners in this free cyber security awareness training program will discover:

• Why independent callbacks to the bank stop vishing scams cold;
• The danger of sharing security codes over the phone—even under pressure;
• How rapid reporting limits fraud losses and speeds incident response;

Add this to any free employee cybersecurity awareness training playlist or lunch-and-learn session to reinforce callback verification and code confidentiality. It fits perfectly within a broader cyber security awareness training free initiative aimed at hardening your human firewall.

This training digs deeper into the psychology of vishing, showing how urgency plus trust extracts MFA codes. It drives home that one-time passwords are every bit as valuable as logins.

Next Steps: Tag all desk phones with “External Caller” banners and host a live vishing role-play where staff practise refusing OTP requests. Log participation and completion in your cybersecurity awareness training LMS.

5. Supply Chain Attack Hidden in a Software Update

A trusted vendor pushed a routine patch—and smuggled malware into thousands of networks. This two-minute free awareness training is perfect for your cybersecurity awareness training program because it shows employees how supply-chain scams bypass even the best perimeter defenses.

Viewers learn to verify update sources, question unexpected prompts, and report anything suspicious, making it an ideal micro-lesson for free security awareness training for employees. Pair this awareness training with vendor-risk checklists inside your employee cybersecurity awareness training program for free to drive home why software provenance matters as much as strong passwords.

A routine patch delivers malware to thousands—proof that trusted vendors can become Trojan horses. The cybersecurity training clarifies digital-signature checks and change-control approvals, key themes for any cybersecurity awareness training track.

Next Steps: Build on it by embedding a vendor-risk checklist in procurement and scheduling quarterly patch-validation drills. Publish pass/fail rates on your free security awareness training for employees portal.

6. AI Voice-Cloning Scam Leads to a $35 Million Heist

A deep-fake voice—indistinguishable from the company’s director—pushed through “urgent” wire transfers that vanished within hours. This jaw-dropping free cybersecurity awareness training is significant because it shows how AI-powered impersonation can outsmart even seasoned finance teams.

Viewers learn to double-verify executive requests, insist on multi-factor approvals, and recognise how synthetic voices exploit trust. Add this awareness video to your free security awareness training for employees to reinforce why callbacks, MFA and extra scrutiny are now part of day-to-day fraud prevention.

Deep-fake phishing makes executive impersonation frighteningly believable. Viewers in this free cybersecurity awareness training learn that familiar voices no longer prove identity and that multi-factor approvals are essential.

Next Steps: Require dual sign-off for all wires, then stage a tabletop exercise around deep-fake calls. Share outcomes in this free employee cybersecurity awareness training recap to keep the risk top of mind.

7. A Supervisor’s Lesson on Subtle Workplace Harassment

Harassment isn’t always obvious—micro-aggressions, off-hand jokes, and exclusion can erode trust as surely as any cyber-attack erodes data. This two-minute free harassment training is significant because it shows why psychological safety is the bedrock of a strong security culture.

Employees see how one team member spoke up about gender-based micro-aggressions, how the supervisor owned the problem, and what inclusive communication looks like in practice. Use it in any security awareness training for employees to remind staff that vigilance extends beyond phishing emails to everyday interactions—and that a respectful workplace supports every other control in your cyber security awareness training program.

Psychological safety is security. This security training connects micro-aggressions to weakened vigilance, reminding teams in a staff awareness training context that respect underpins every technical control.

Next Steps: Launch an anonymous security culture survey, discuss the findings at town-hall level, and weave new inclusivity tips into these ongoing cyber security awareness training free sessions.

8. Hacked Translation App Leads to Cyber-Espionage

A trusted language tool turned into a full-blown spyware conduit, proving that even “productivity” apps can be Trojan horses. This free cybersecurity awareness training details how the Evasive Panda group slipped malware into a popular translator, logged keystrokes, and siphoned corporate secrets.

Staff learn why zero-trust software policies matter and how to spot red flags before clicking “Install.” Embed this free security awareness training for employees to drive home that software hygiene is just as critical as phishing defense within a cybersecurity awareness training program.

A popular translator hides spyware, illustrating why zero-trust download policies matter. Employees in this free cybersecurity awareness training path learn to scrutinize every installer, even from respected app stores.

Next Steps: Roll out application-whitelisting and conduct spot audits on installed software. Celebrate teams with zero rogue apps in your security awareness training for employees, feed and use the results as positive reinforcement.

9. Why Scanning QR Codes Safely Really Matters

A casual scan at a parking meter turned into a quishing nightmare—credit-card details siphoned off in seconds through a fake QR code. Add this real-life quishing story to your cybersecurity awareness training library to show employees that contact-less convenience carries hidden risks. Viewers learn how scammers stick counterfeit codes on meters, flyers, and tables, and they walk away with three “stop-and-check” steps that block the fraud.

Quishing becomes real when a parking-meter code redirects to a fake payment site. The story gifts staff in micro-learning-style free cybersecurity awareness training a three-step “stop-and-check” routine they can recall anywhere.

Next Steps: Run a QR phishing test. Also, cement the habit with branded “Think Before You Scan” posters in cafeterias and track any QR-related incident reports in the cybersecurity awareness training analytics dashboard.

10. How a Fake HR Text Led to a Major Data Breach

One “new benefits package” email—complete with flawless HR branding—tricked an employee into opening a poisoned attachment and handed attackers the keys to the company’s internal systems. This real-life spear-phishing example is a must-share in any free employee cybersecurity awareness training program because it shows how highly targeted HR scams bypass routine filters and exploit trust in familiar workflows.

After watching, your staff will be able to:

• Recognise red-flag giveaways in spoofed HR emails and texts;
• Verify unusual HR requests through official channels before clicking;
• Act fast on incident-response steps that limit the blast radius of a breach.

Drop this free awareness training video into your program or embed it as a micro-lesson inside a broader cyber security awareness training course to reinforce that every attachment, no matter how “official” it looks, demands a second glance.

Polished HR branding concealed malware that opened the door to attackers. Employees in this employee cybersecurity awareness training learn to treat even internal-looking messages with caution and to double-verify attachments.

Next Steps: Implement attachment sandboxing for all external emails, then review click-through metrics 30 days on and share the uplift in your free staff awareness training digest.

11. Fake Bank Security Alert Tricks an Employee into Transferring Funds

A calm-voiced “bank agent” warns of suspicious activity and urges an immediate transfer to a “safe account.” Minutes later, the money is gone—victim of caller-ID spoofing and a perfectly timed fake notification. Add this real-world vishing scam example awareness training to your cybersecurity program to prove why urgency cues and spoofed caller IDs must always be double-checked.

Staff who watch this free security awareness training learn to pause, verify through official channels, and rely on multi-factor authentication instead of impulse. It fits seamlessly into any free employee cybersecurity awareness training module or broader cyber security awareness training free program focused on social-engineering defense.

Urgent “fraud” notifications and caller-ID spoofing collide in this cautionary tale. It teaches calm verification and MFA reliance—core ideas for any robust cybersecurity awareness training roadmap.

Next Steps: Run SMS fraud tests and add SMS scam alerts that nudge staff to report dodgy calls, and feed response metrics into your cybersecurity awareness training dashboard to monitor progress.

12. How to Spot and Avoid Common Tax Scams

Tax season is prime time for voice-phishing fraud: scammers impersonate revenue agencies, threaten arrest, and pressure victims into instant payments. Share this cybersecurity awareness training episode to show staff exactly how vishing exploits fear and urgency. Viewers learn to stay calm, verify caller identity with official channels, and refuse on-the-spot transfers—vital lessons for any security awareness training for employees. Drop it into your next cyber security awareness training newsletter to remind everyone that legitimate tax authorities never demand immediate payments by phone.

Tax-season vishing exploits fear of fines and arrest. The clip arms viewers in this security awareness training for employees with the composure and verification steps needed to shut scammers down.

Next Steps: Ahead of filing deadlines, send a simulated tax-agency phish to benchmark readiness, then include a heat-map of results in your cyber security awareness training report to leadership.

Cybersecurity Awareness Training Powerpoint

Creating an effective cybersecurity awareness PowerPoint presentation is a powerful way to engage employees and improve their understanding of cyber threats. A well-structured cybersecurity awareness training for employees PPT can simplify complex topics like phishing, malware, and password security into engaging and easy-to-understand content. Whether you’re delivering employee data protection initiatives in person or through cybersecurity awareness training for employees online, a clear and visually appealing PPT helps drive home key lessons.

Get Keepnet’s cybersecurity awareness powerpoint training in SCORM format for seamless integration into your LMS below:

Mobile Device Security

With the rise of remote work, this module educates employees on how to protect sensitive data on mobile devices.

• Benefit: Significant for protecting mobile data, especially for remote workers.
• Target Audience: Remote workers
• Download Link: [Get Mobile Device Security training]

Incident Reporting and Response

This free cyber security awareness training ensures that your IT staff and management are well-versed in how to report and respond to security incidents is essential for minimizing damage during a cyberattack.

• Benefit: Provides timely and effective incident response strategies.
• Target Audience: IT staff, managers
• Download Link: [Get Incident Reporting and Response course]

Physical Security

This free cyber security awareness training helps you to safeguard your physical assets, such as hardware and office environments, is equally important in a comprehensive security strategy.

• Benefit: Enhances the physical security of workplace assets.
• Target Audience: All employees
• Download Link: [Get Physical Security training course]

Cloud Security Essentials

As organizations increasingly rely on cloud services, it's vital that employees understand how to use these platforms securely. This free cyber security awareness training online addresses safe cloud computing practices.

• Benefit: Ensures the safe use of cloud services and secure data storage.
• Target Audience: Cloud service users
• Download Link: [Cloud Security Essentials Trainig]

Social Media Security

With social media being a prime target for cybercriminals, this free cyber security awareness training helps employees protect their personal and professional accounts from hackers and scams.

• Benefit: Strengthens social media account security.
• Target Audience: All employees
• Download Link: [Social Media Security Training]

Benefits of Cyber Security Awareness Training For Employees

Implementing employee awareness training brings several critical advantages to your organization, including:

Avoid Data Breaches and Financial Losses

One of the main goals of cyber security training for employees is to help employees recognize and avoid phishing attempts, ransomware attacks, and other forms of cyber threats. By doing so, your organization can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches and the costly downtime or financial losses that often follow.

Boost Customer and Partner Confidence

When your team is trained to identify and respond to cyber threats, it gives both customers and partners greater confidence in your business. A strong security posture shows that you prioritize protecting sensitive data, which can strengthen your relationships with key stakeholders.

Build a Cyber Security Culture

Security awareness training is not just about avoiding attacks; it's about building a company-wide culture that prioritizes cybersecurity at every level. Employees who understand the importance of good security practices contribute to a safer, more secure workplace. Integrating Keepnet’s corporate cybersecurity awareness for employees 2025, for instance, ensures that your employees are equipped to recognize and respond to the latest threats.

Prevent Employee Burnout from Cyber Incidents

Cyberattacks like ransomware or phishing breaches can cause significant stress for employees, especially those directly affected. Cyber security user awareness training reduces these risks by equipping employees with the knowledge to avoid threats, creating a more confident and less stressed workforce.

Strengthen Employee Empowerment and Ownership

Training fosters a sense of ownership in employees by showing them their critical role in protecting the organization. They are no longer passive observers but proactive defenders, making them feel more connected to the organization’s success.

Improve Job Retention in Security Roles

Providing ongoing cybersecurity education signals that the organization invests in its employees’ growth. This helps retain talent in security roles, where turnover is typically high due to stress and skill demands.

Enhances Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Security awareness training encourages collaboration across departments by making cybersecurity a shared responsibility. Employees become more comfortable reporting suspicious activities, fostering trust between teams like IT and HR.

Identifiy Human Risk Blind Spots

Training programs help uncover specific patterns of human error unique to the organization, such as employees clicking on fake links during simulations. This data can guide customized interventions to reduce these vulnerabilities.

Reduces Shadow IT Risks

Employees are less likely to engage in risky practices, such as using unauthorized apps or services, after understanding how these practices increase the organization’s cyber risk.

Minimize Insider Threats

Awareness training helps prevent intentional and unintentional insider threats by teaching employees to recognize warning signs in themselves and their coworkers, such as unusual access patterns or social engineering tactics.

Create Cybersecurity Ambassadors

Cybersecurity-aware employees can act as ambassadors within their families and communities, spreading best practices and indirectly helping society at large combat cybercrime.

By investing in cybersecurity awareness training, organizations don’t just mitigate risks—they empower their employees to become active participants in maintaining a secure and resilient business environment.

Use Keepnet Security Awareness Training Product for Further Security Awareness Training Content

Ready to go beyond these twelve micro-lessons and Powerpoint awareness training content? Keepnet’s full Security Awareness Training platform gives you instant access to hundreds of bite-size videos, interactive quizzes, phishing and vishing simulations, and role-based learning paths—everything you need to keep your workforce sharp year-round. The content is continuously updated to cover emerging threats like AI-generated deepfakes, QR-code scams, supply-chain malware and more, so your employees always train on what really matters.

The table below showcases the impressive gains in cyber security employee awareness across multiple security-related topics, measured before and after the awareness training sessions within a year.

Table 1: How useful is Keepnet's cyber security awareness training for employees

Features of Keepnet’s Cyber Security Awareness Training for Employees

Phishing Simulations

Keepnet offers realistic phishing simulations to train employees against modern social engineering threats, covering multiple attack vectors such as email, voice, SMS, QR codes, and MFA phishing:

• Phishing Simulation: This tool simulates email-based phishing attacks to train employees in identifying and responding to deceptive emails.
• Voice Phishing Simulation: Employees learn to handle phone-based phishing, or "vishing," attacks through simulated malicious calls.
• SMS Phishing Simulation: This cyber security awareness for employees replicates SMS-based phishing, or "smishing," attacks, teaching employees how to recognize and react to malicious text messages.
• QR Code Phishing Simulation: Focuses on the risks associated with scanning QR codes, teaching them how to identify and prevent malicious QR codes.
• MFA Phishing Simulation: Simulates scenarios attempting to bypass Multi-Factor Authentication, emphasizing the critical nature of secure MFA practices.
• Callback Voice Phishing Simulation: Trains employees to identify and respond to fake callback requests that are typical in social engineering attacks.

Diverse and Rich Staff Cybersecurity Awareness Training Content

Keepnet' security awareness training software delivers a wide range of up-to-date cybersecurity awareness content to train and engage staff across all skill levels and roles:

• Over 3000+ Security Training Contents: Keepnet offers an extensive library of courses available in more than 30 languages, developed by top content providers, featuring interactive micro-videos and game-based learning to engage various learner types.
• Continuous Security Awareness Training: Keepnet ensures that training content is always up-to-date, reflecting the latest phishing tactics and cyber threats.
• API Integration: Allows seamless integration of Keepnet's solutions with existing systems, automating various functions such as training, simulations, and reporting.
• SMS-Based Training: Offers the ability to deliver cyber security training for employees via SMS, ensuring accessibility for employees in environments where email use is limited.
• Advanced Reporting Tools: Provides in-depth analytics on employee performance in training and simulations, enhancing the ability to track and improve security measures.
• Gamification: Utilizes competitive elements like leaderboards to make staff security education more engaging and encourage widespread participation.
• Employee Compliance Cybersecurity Training: Includes specific courses to meet regulatory requirements like HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI, ensuring that employees understand relevant legal and security frameworks.
• Behavior-Based Security Training: Automatically delivers targeted cyber security training for employees based on employees' actions during simulations, ensuring that the learning is immediate and directly targeted to the incorrect behavior.
• Diverse Content Styles: Offers a variety of content formats, allowing organizations to tailor the learning experience to best suit their team's needs.
• Customization Options: Allows organizations to create custom phishing templates and scenarios that are more closely aligned with their specific security concerns, enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of the training.
• Cyber security awareness training certificate: Obtain training certifications for your staff in cyber security awareness.

Security Behavior and Culture Program

Keepnet’s Security Behavior and Culture Programs (SBCP) help organizations build a strong security-conscious culture by addressing human-related risks and embedding secure practices into daily operations.

Outcome driven metrics help track progress and refine strategies, and leadership support ensures alignment with organizational goals. Keepnet empowers organizations to reduce human risk, improve response capabilities, and foster a sustainable security culture.

Why Choose Keepnet for Cyber Security Awareness Training for Employees?

Keepnet stands out with measurable results, tailored content, seamless integration, and expert guidance:

• 92% Human Risk Reduction: Our clients see drastic phishing reduction.
• Adaptive, Role-Specific Content: We tailor training by department or skill level.
• Automation & Integrations: Seamless fit with existing LMS or email infrastructure
• Expert Cybersecurity Support: Our experts guide you every step of the way.

Keepnet’s 2025 Cyber Security Awareness Training for Employees: Reduce Risk by 90%

In 2025, cyber threats are more sophisticated—and costly—than ever. Yet despite advanced security tools, human error remains the leading cause of data breaches across industries. That’s why security awareness training for employees is no longer optional—it’s essential.

Our data shows that organizations leveraging Keepnet can cut phishing incidents by up to 92% average, in just 12 months. Whether you’re a CISO or HR manager, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create a security-savvy workforce in 2025.

Check out the success story of Tiryaki, a global agricultural company. They trained a diverse team of 1100 employees in different locations worldwide, including various ports. To protect themselves from cyber threats, they started using Keepnet’s security awareness programs, which helped them stop phishing risks up to 89% success in 12 months.

Check Keepnet security awareness training product and book a demo now.

Editor's note: This article was updated on 30 May, 2025.