Five ways to keep staff awake during cybersecurity training

Cybersecurity training is critical, but unfortunately a lot of it is forgettable. Slide decks about encryption or an annual compliance video won’t prepare employees for phishing emails or social engineering. If you want people to stay awake and remember what they’ve learned, here are five practical approaches that work.

1. Tell Stories, Not Just Rules
   People don’t remember checklists, they remember stories. Share real examples of phishing scams, invoice fraud, or deepfake calls that targeted organizations like theirs. Put it in context: “Here’s how a federal contractor lost millions, and here’s how we avoid that.”
2. Keep It Short and Frequent
   Long annual trainings feel like a big burden. Bite-sized lessons — five minutes in a team meeting, a quick video on Teams, a short phishing drill — fit better into busy schedules and are easier to remember.
3. Make It Personal
   Don’t treat cybersecurity as abstract. Show how good habits protect not only organizations but also employees’ own paychecks, benefits, and personal information. When people see what’s at stake for them, they are more invested.
4. Use Interaction and Gamification
   Quizzes, role-playing, or even a little competition can help keep people engaged. Reward teams that report phishing emails quickly. Recognize employees who demonstrate strong cyber habits. Positive reinforcement works better than complicated trainings.
5. Put a Human Face on Security
   Generic training feels distant. Have a trusted leader — your CISO, a security lead, or even a peer — deliver messages directly. A recognizable face turns training from “another compliance box” into part of the company culture.

Training doesn’t have to be dull. With stories, interaction, and some relevance, employees can actually remember the lessons, and apply them. That’s the difference between a rote checkbox exercise and building a culture of security that protects contracts and missions.