How to Manage Users with the Highest Risk Scores in Security Awareness Training Programs

In 2024, the human factor in cybersecurity remains one of the biggest challenges, with over 95% of breaches involving some element of human error according to Word Economic From (2023). No matter how advanced your technological defenses are, your employees can still be the weak link in your security chain. This is why security awareness training is essential, especially when it comes to managing users with the highest risk scores.

Understanding which users are most susceptible to cyber threats and how to address their vulnerabilities is key to strengthening your organization's overall cybersecurity posture. Risk score calculation and phish-prone percentages help identify the individuals who need immediate attention, allowing you to implement targeted interventions that significantly reduce your organization’s risk.

What Are Human Risk Scores and Why Do They Matter?

Human risk scores assess an individual's likelihood of causing cybersecurity threats based on factors like phishing susceptibility and security habits. By quantifying these risks, organizations can tailor security training to address specific weaknesses, reducing potential cyber threats linked to human error. Managing these scores helps strengthen overall defenses against risks like phishing and ransomware attacks.

The Human Risk Score Explained

A human risk score is a metric used to quantify an individual's likelihood of falling victim to cyberattacks, particularly phishing. This score is based on a combination of factors such as:

• Performance in phishing simulations.
• Interaction with cybersecurity awareness training programs.
• Response time in reporting suspicious activities (see how phishing dwell time impacts response time).
• Weak password management practices.

Users with high risk scores are often those who repeatedly fail phishing tests, demonstrate poor cybersecurity hygiene, or fail to participate in training sessions. These users pose a greater threat to the organization, as their actions are more likely to lead to successful cyberattacks.

By focusing on these individuals, you can better allocate training resources where they are needed most and effectively lower your organization’s overall phish-prone percentage.

Identifying Users with the Highest Risk Scores

Pinpointing users with the highest risk scores is critical for focusing cybersecurity efforts where they’re most needed. These individuals may be more prone to phishing, use weak passwords, or regularly engage in risky behaviors, such as falling for social engineering tactics. By leveraging risk score data, security teams can prioritize targeted training and additional safeguards for these high-risk users, reducing their vulnerability and bolstering the organization’s overall security posture.

Risk Score Calculation: How Does It Work?

Risk score calculation is the process of assigning a score to each user based on their susceptibility to cyber threats. This score is determined by assessing various behavioral factors, such as:

• Number of failed phishing simulations.
• Lack of reporting phishing attempts.
• Low participation in cybersecurity awareness training.
• Risky behavior like clicking suspicious links or using weak passwords.

This calculation gives you a clear picture of the most vulnerable individuals in your organization, allowing you to prioritize who needs training the most. For example, those who consistently score high on phish-prone percentages—meaning they are more likely to fall for phishing attempts—should be your immediate focus.

Read this blog for more insights on how phishing risk scores vary across industries

Visualizing Risk: Users with the Highest Risk Scores

The Importance of the High-Risk User Graphic

One of the most powerful tools you can use to identify high-risk users is the Users with Highest Risk Scores graphic. This visual representation shows individual users' risk scores, with the highest-risk users clearly marked in red. These red bars indicate that these individuals have reached a critical risk level, signaling that immediate action is necessary.

The value of this graphic lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. As a CISO or Head of IT, you need quick insights into where your organization's vulnerabilities lie. This graphic allows you to:

• Easily identify users who need targeted security awareness training.
• Prioritize interventions to prevent those individuals from becoming entry points for cyberattacks.
• Monitor improvements over time as users receive tailored training and their risk scores decrease.

For more ways to use charts to enhance your security program, explore how security awareness completion charts can track training progress.

Addressing High-Risk Users: A Tailored Training Approach

As a security awareness training expert, addressing high-risk users requires a targeted approach that goes beyond standard training. These individuals often need specialized, behavior-focused training designed to tackle their specific vulnerabilities, whether it's phishing susceptibility, weak password practices, or a tendency to fall for social engineering tactics. By using data from human risk scores, trainers can develop customized programs that address the unique risks these users pose.

Customizing Security Awareness Training for High-Risk Users

Generic, one-size-fits-all security awareness training is no longer sufficient. To reduce the risks posed by high-risk users, you must implement tailored training programs that address their specific vulnerabilities.

Using tools like Keepnet AI training, you can automate the process of identifying at-risk users and delivering personalized training based on their risk scores. For example, users with high phish-prone percentages can receive additional phishing simulations and awareness content designed to improve their ability to recognize malicious emails, links, and attachments.

Some strategies to consider include:

• Phishing Simulations: Repeated phishing tests to measure progress over time and determine whether the training is effective. High-risk users can be targeted with increasingly sophisticated attacks to ensure they are adequately prepared for real-world threats.
• Interactive Training Modules: Interactive, scenario-based training can engage high-risk users more effectively, allowing them to actively participate in simulations and practice their response to cyberattacks.
• Immediate Feedback and Coaching: Providing high-risk users with immediate feedback on their performance in phishing simulations helps reinforce learning and improve retention.

Tailored training isn’t just about covering basic topics; it’s about focusing on the behaviors and patterns that make specific users more vulnerable. For instance, if an individual consistently clicks on phishing links during simulations, training can emphasize email scrutiny and spotting red flags.

If you want to further optimize your security awareness training, consider incorporating phishing dwell time distribution to understand how quickly employees react to phishing simulations. Learn more here.

Measuring the Impact: Monitoring and Adjusting Risk Scores

For security awareness professionals, consistently monitoring and adjusting risk scores is essential for tracking training effectiveness and user behavior changes. By evaluating risk scores from phishing simulations, password audits, and other assessments, we can identify improvements and areas needing further attention. This data-driven approach allows us to refine training, addressing specific vulnerabilities and adapting to the evolving threat landscape.

Tracking Improvement with Continuous Monitoring

Once high-risk users complete their tailored training, it’s essential to measure its effectiveness. Continuous monitoring of human risk scores will show how training has impacted their behavior. Running periodic phishing simulations and tracking the reduction in phish-prone percentages will allow you to:

• Measure the direct impact of the training on reducing user vulnerability.
• Identify areas where users still struggle and adjust training content accordingly.
• Ensure that high-risk users are consistently improving, not reverting to risky behavior.

Organizations that effectively monitor and reduce risk scores across their workforce not only improve their security posture but also foster a culture of cybersecurity awareness. Engaging users through continuous learning and feedback ensures long-term retention of best practices and reduces the overall risk to the company.

The Benefits of Focusing on High-Risk Users

Concentrating on high-risk users offers substantial benefits for improving overall cybersecurity. These individuals are often the most susceptible to attacks like phishing and social engineering, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. By prioritizing targeted training and interventions for these users, organizations can significantly reduce their vulnerability and, in turn, lower the likelihood of a security breach.

Reducing Organizational Vulnerabilities

Focusing on users with the highest risk scores has significant long-term benefits. By addressing these vulnerabilities early and effectively, you can:

• Drastically reduce the likelihood of successful phishing attacks and data breaches.
• Lower your organization’s overall phish-prone percentage, making it harder for attackers to exploit human error.
• Strengthen the human element of your cybersecurity awareness training program, leading to a more resilient workforce.

Improving Resource Efficiency

Training everyone equally, regardless of their risk profile, can waste time and resources. Instead, targeting your efforts at high-risk users allows you to allocate resources more effectively. Not only will this lead to better outcomes, but it will also reduce the cost of training programs by focusing on those who need it the most.

Long-Term Security Gains

Investing in high-risk user training today leads to fewer security incidents tomorrow. Over time, as you continue to monitor and address human risk scores, you’ll see improvements across the board. Employees will be more aware, more cautious, and better equipped to prevent cyberattacks. This proactive approach will help prevent future incidents and safeguard your company’s assets and reputation.

Reduce Risk by Focusing on High-Risk Users with Keepnet Security Awareness Training

As a CISO or Head of IT, understanding and managing users with the highest risk scores is important to the success of your security awareness training programs. By leveraging risk score calculation, focusing on phish-prone percentages, and utilizing advanced tools like Keepnet security awareness training, you can ensure that your highest-risk users receive the attention and training they need.

Train your high-risk users with Keepnet security awareness training to lower their phish-prone percentages and boost their ability to recognize phishing attacks by up to 92% success.

Further Reading:

1. Using phishing dwell time distribution charts
2. What is phishing dwell time and quickest response time
3. Phishing risk score trends across industries
4. Enhancing security awareness training with completion charts
5. Keepnet phishing simulator: Fighting against phishing attacks
6. 30 phishing email examples to avoid
7. Free phishing awareness training
8. How to protect your business against ransomware
9. How effective is security training in preventing cyber attacks
10. Cybersecurity awareness solution for free

Also, watch our YouTube video below and see how Keepnet’s human risk management platform can help you get executive reports like high-risk Users in security awareness training and use them for improvement.