It’s no secret—no matter how many times we say “don’t click that,” someone still will. But here’s the good news: with the right mindset, some smart training, and a little creativity, your people can become your strongest defense.

Here are 7 employee awareness tips to help you build a Culture of Security—without putting everyone to sleep.

1. Establish the Right Goals

Before you launch a security awareness program, stop and ask: What are we trying to accomplish?

Security isn’t a one-size-fits-all checklist. Understand your business, culture, risk tolerance, and your regulatory landscape. Then set achievable goals that feel like opportunities—not obstacles. An achievable goal creates a sense of opportunity for the team!

2. Set Clear Expectations

From day one, employees should know exactly what’s expected when it comes to cybersecurity. This isn’t “extra credit”—it’s part of the job.

Integrate cybersecurity responsibilities into job descriptions, onboarding, and performance reviews. Define what’s acceptable and what’s not, and integrate these into the company culture.

3. Mandate Training (and Make It Matter)

Let’s be honest: if employees aren’t doing their training, the issue probably isn’t laziness—it’s usually a broken process or expectations problem.

Start building a Culture of Security during onboarding. Make training routine, make testing frequent, and tie it to evaluations. Training isn’t optional. Neither is cybersecurity.

4. Use Carrots, Not Sticks

Nobody learns well under a microscope. Instead of shaming mistakes, reward success. Public recognition, gamified training, and a little swag go a long way.

Recognize top performers and turn training into a friendly competition. Never underestimate what people will do for bragging rights and a coffee gift card.

5. Never Waste a Crisis

When an incident happens—big or small—use it as a learning opportunity.

Talk openly about what went wrong, what it impacted, and how it can be prevented next time. Involve the team in the solution. Ownership builds awareness. Awareness builds resilience.

6. Have Some Fun With It

Yes, cybersecurity is serious—but training doesn’t have to be boring.

Add humor, memes, and mini-games to your modules. Hold a “Phish Bowl” competition. Print posters that make people stop and think. If they’re laughing, they’re learning.

7. Conduct Regular Incident Response Tabletops

Simulations aren’t just for big enterprises. Tabletop exercises build muscle memory so when the real thing happens, your team doesn’t freeze.

Make them regular, low-stakes, and inclusive. Your people don’t have to be techies to be part of the defense.

Final Thought: Culture > Compliance

If you’re only training your team to check a box, you’re not building resilience—you’re just buying time. Building a true Culture of Security means investing in people, not just policies.

Start with one of these tips. Then another. Before you know it, your team won’t just avoid risk—they’ll help shut it down.

Click Here for a downloadable cybersecurity employee awareness guide.

Need help getting started? Contact OrbitalFire