How Slashing the SAT Budget Is Appreciated By Hackers – Source: securityboulevard.com

The Growing Need for Cybersecurity Awareness Training (SAT)

In today’s rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, organizations are increasingly recognizing the critical importance of Cyber Security Awareness Training (SAT) as a fundamental defense strategy. Regulatory changes like NIS2 and DORA further emphasize this need for robust cybersecurity initiatives. However, despite this acknowledgment, many organizations are still underfunding SAT. On average, organizations allocate only 4%-6% of their security budgets to training initiatives. This limited budget often results in SAT programs that prioritize compliance over effectiveness, turning them into checkbox exercises rather than meaningful, impactful learning experiences. Explore how CybeReady ensures impactful, ongoing SAT programs.

The Cost of Underfunded SAT Programs

This cost-centric approach can severely undermine the effectiveness of SAT programs, leaving organizations vulnerable to emerging cyber threats. In fact, only 9% of IT budgets are dedicated to security, and many companies rate their security and compliance strategies as reactive. Nearly 24% of IT professionals report this, while fewer than half of organizations rate their risk visibility as “strong”. This underinvestment leads to gaps in cybersecurity preparedness, which can be costly in the long run. Without the necessary budget, organizations may struggle to run continuous, up-to-date training, leading to outdated or irrelevant content. Read more about the challenges of underfunding cybersecurity initiatives.

The Consequences of Stale and Inconsistent Training

When security budgets are slim, the impact goes beyond training limitations. Overburdened security teams often don’t have the resources or time to run continuous, updated training programs. As a result, organizations may end up with stale content that fails to address emerging threats or is not effectively localized for different teams or regions. This lack of resources can also lead to inconsistent training efforts, which may undermine overall cybersecurity preparedness across the organization. Learn how CybeReady’s platform ensures consistent, relevant, and localized training.

Maximizing SAT Impact with Automation and Innovation

Rather than adopting a “do more with less” mentality, organizations should focus on doing more with less. By investing in innovative SAT solutions, organizations can maximize the impact of their training programs without needing to substantially increase budgets. With automation, security teams can save significant time and resources by streamlining tasks like compliance reporting and training content delivery. For example, respondents mentioned that they could save at least two hours per week (over 2.5 working weeks per year) if security and compliance tasks were automated. This approach not only bridges the gap between the importance of SAT and its prioritization within security budgets, but also strengthens overall security posture in a cost-effective manner.

Effective Training Despite Budget Constraints

While budget constraints are a reality for many organizations, they should not compromise the effectiveness of Cyber Security Awareness Training. By prioritizing impactful and efficient training solutions, organizations can enhance their cyber defenses, achieve more significant results, and ensure they are always prepared without proportionally increasing expenditures. Start your journey towards effective, automated SAT with CybeReady today.

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*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Cyber Security Awareness Training Blog | CybeReady authored by Mike Polatsek. Read the original post at: https://cybeready.com/security-training-roi/cybersecurity-awareness-training-budget-challenges