Employees Are Your First Firewall: Train Them Like It
- LMSPortals
- 11 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Cybersecurity isn't just about firewalls, encryption, or software updates. It's about people. Your employees are on the frontlines of defense every single day. But too many organizations treat them like liabilities instead of assets. It’s time to flip that thinking.
The Human Element: Your Greatest Risk—and Greatest Asset
Most breaches don’t happen because someone hacked a firewall. They happen because someone clicked a malicious link, reused a weak password, or sent sensitive data to the wrong person. In other words: human error.
Stats That Should Make You Sweat
88% of data breaches are caused by employee mistakes, according to a Stanford University study.
Phishing attacks increased by 61% in 2024, and most victims were tricked through email or social engineering—not technical exploits.
Only 31% of workers say they receive regular cybersecurity training.
If your first thought after reading that is “we need better tech,” you're missing the point. You can’t firewall your way out of human error. You need to train your people like they’re part of the security infrastructure—because they are.
Security Culture Starts at the Top
Culture sets the tone. If leadership treats security like a box to check, employees will too. If leadership models secure behavior, talks about it, and backs it with budget and time, employees take it seriously.
Stop Outsourcing the Problem
Many companies outsource cybersecurity training to generic video modules employees click through once a year. That’s not training—that’s compliance theater.
Real training involves:
Ongoing, bite-sized lessons
Hands-on simulations (e.g., phishing tests)
Open discussion of mistakes—without shame
Clear communication from leadership on why it matters
Security isn’t IT’s job. It’s everyone’s job, starting with leadership.
The Anatomy of a Secure Employee
What does a well-trained employee look like from a security standpoint? They’re not necessarily tech experts. But they know enough to spot danger and act wisely.
Traits of a Secure Employee
Suspicious by default – They question links, attachments, and strange requests—even from the CEO.
Password smart – They use password managers and understand that “Winter2023!” is not a strong password.
Cloud conscious – They know not to dump company files in public drives or share screenshots in Slack.
Quick to report – They don’t hide mistakes; they report them fast so damage can be minimized.
Device disciplined – They don’t leave laptops in cars or connect to shady Wi-Fi at conferences.
These are learned behaviors. No one comes preloaded with them. You have to train, test, and reinforce them.
How to Build a Human Firewall That Works
It’s not enough to say “employees are our first line of defense.” You have to train them like you mean it. Here’s how to build a training program that actually sticks.
1. Make It Continuous, Not Annual
Once-a-year training doesn’t work. People forget. Threats evolve. Attention spans shrink. Instead:
Deliver short lessons (5–10 minutes) monthly or biweekly
Use interactive formats: quizzes, games, scenarios
Include “What would you do?” moments with real-world relevance
This isn’t just more engaging—it’s more effective. Frequent training builds muscle memory.
2. Simulate Attacks. Often.
The best training is experience. Simulate phishing emails, social engineering calls, and physical breaches (like tailgating). Track who falls for them. Don’t shame them—train them.
Simulations:
Reveal weak spots
Provide teachable moments
Keep security top of mind
Just don’t make them predictable. If employees know they’ll get a fake phishing email every first Monday, you’ve already lost.
3. Train for Roles, Not Just Rules
The CMO and the system admin face different risks. So do remote workers, contractors, and sales reps on the road. Tailor training to the actual threats employees face in their roles.
Examples:
Finance teams: wire fraud and invoice scams
HR: phishing using fake resumes or benefits scams
Execs: spear phishing and credential harvesting
Developers: secure code practices, GitHub hygiene
One-size-fits-all training doesn’t fit anyone well. Customize it.
4. Reward Good Behavior
Security training doesn’t have to be all doom and penalties. Recognize employees who report phishing, lock their devices, or complete training on time. Small incentives go a long way.
Ideas:
Monthly “Cyber Hero” awards
Slack shoutouts for reporting suspicious emails
Gift cards or time off for perfect simulation scores
Make secure behavior part of the culture—not just a checkbox.
5. Debrief Real Incidents
If there’s a breach or near-miss, treat it like a case study. Walk through what happened, what went wrong, and how it can be prevented next time. This:
Builds trust through transparency
Reinforces lessons with real consequences
Turns mistakes into learning opportunities
Most importantly: don’t shame employees. Fear shuts down communication, and silence is the enemy of security.
Metrics That Matter
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. But too many organizations track meaningless numbers—like how many people completed the training, not how many understood it or changed behavior.
Focus on These Metrics Instead:
Click rates on phishing simulations
Time to report incidents
Number of employees using MFA or password managers
Drop in risky behaviors (e.g., emailing data to personal accounts)
Improvement over time, not just one-off success
Track progress. Celebrate wins. Fix what’s not working.
Remote Work = New Risks
Remote and hybrid work aren't going away—and they introduce new attack surfaces.
Key issues:
Personal devices with weak protection
Unsecured home networks
Distractions that make phishing easier to fall for
Shadow IT (unauthorized apps/tools)
Solution: Bake remote-work security into onboarding, provide secure tools, and set clear expectations.
Bonus: give employees a secure home setup checklist. It’s a small move that pays big dividends.
Red Flags to Watch For
If your employees are your first firewall, here’s how to know that firewall’s cracking:
Employees don’t know where to report suspicious activity.
Phishing simulations have >15% click rates and no improvement.
There’s high turnover in the IT/security training team.
You’ve had close calls—but no follow-up training or discussion.
Security is seen as a burden, not a shared responsibility.
If any of that sounds familiar, don’t panic. But don’t wait either. The fix starts with better training.
The Payoff: Stronger Teams, Safer Business
Training employees like your first firewall isn’t just about reducing risk. It’s about building a workforce that’s confident, alert, and empowered to act.
When security becomes part of the job—not an afterthought—everyone wins:
Fewer breaches
Faster responses
Lower compliance risks
Higher customer trust
Cybersecurity is a team sport. The more your employees understand the game, the harder it is for attackers to score.
Final Word: Training Is Cheaper Than a Breach
Cybersecurity training might feel like a cost center. But compare that to the average data breach—$4.45 million globally, according to IBM’s 2024 report. Suddenly, a training budget doesn’t seem so big.
Train your people. Simulate the threats. Make it part of the culture. Because at the end of the day, your people are your perimeter—and they’re either your best defense or your biggest risk.
Train them like your business depends on it. Because it does.
About LMS Portals
At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a mobile-responsive, SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.
The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily.
We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.
If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program. The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.
Together, these features make LMS Portals the ideal SaaS-based eLearning platform for our clients and our Reseller partners.
Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages