New AI-Focused Modules in Our Security Awareness and Training Service

Leaders know that employees can be a solid first line of defense against cyber incidents if they have the proper knowledge and understand how to spot a potential attack. However, as threat actors increasingly embrace AI to enhance the volume and velocity of their efforts, executives everywhere are growing concerned that attacks will become more difficult for personnel to identify. According to the Fortinet 2024 Security Awareness and Training Report, 67% of leaders worry their employees lack general security awareness, up nine percentage points from 2023. And AI is only compounding these challenges, with 62% of leaders saying they expect employees to fall victim to attacks in which adversaries use AI.

The increased use of AI among threat actors is one of the many motivations for organizations of all shapes and sizes to implement security awareness and training initiatives for all employees. It's encouraging that nearly all executives (97%) believe that more training would help reduce cyberattacks. Of those enterprises that have related efforts in place, 89% of leaders say they've seen improvements to overall security posture after program implementation.

Fortinet's Award-Winning Security Awareness and Training Service

It's no surprise that an organization's employees are high-value targets for threat actors. In fact, malware, phishing, and web attacks combined-which target individuals directly-account for 80% of all attacks throughout the year. This statistic underscores the value of security awareness in training, as a workforce that lacks basic cybersecurity knowledge can be a serious risk. That is particularly true as adversaries continually deploy more sophisticated, harder-to-spot attacks.

The Fortinet Security Awareness and Training service is a SaaS-based offering that delivers timely and current awareness training on cybersecurity threats, featuring nearly 30 content modules. The service helps IT, security, and compliance leaders build a cyber-aware culture where employees can easily recognize and avoid falling victim to potential attacks. The award-winning offering includes training delivered through a variety of formats, as well as quizzes and knowledge checks throughout the training to test employees' understanding of the material. Administrators can co-brand the service, use a single interface for deploying and managing the training, track user progress, and create out-of-the-box activity reports.

Organizations of all sizes across every industry benefit from implementing cybersecurity awareness and training programs, equipping their employees with the necessary knowledge to identify and avoid cyberattacks. One Fortinet customer noted that "nobody wants to be that weakest link that opens the organization to a cyberattack, so this concept of staff becoming human firewalls and taking personal responsibility has really resonated."

Expanding Our Security Awareness and Training Service Curriculum

Given the ubiquity of AI, the Fortinet Training Institute recently added two new AI-focused modules to its Security Awareness and Training service to enhance learners' understanding of AI and the role this technology plays in cybersecurity.

The first new module centers on generative AI (GenAI), offering an introduction to GenAI, a technology with diverse applications. Participants explore its benefits, associated risks, and best practices for responsibly using AI in the workplace. Key topics covered in the module include open and closed AI models, common misconceptions about AI, and accuracy issues when using GenAI.

The second module focuses on AI-powered threats, covering the various methods that cybercriminals use when harnessing AI to create and enhance cyberattacks. The module includes content on data privacy concerns, deepfakes and voice cloning, AI-generated malware, and how AI is used to create and distribute misinformation.

Cybersecurity Is Everyone's Responsibility

As threat actors find new, more clever ways to infiltrate networks and leverage new technologies to augment their attacks, everyone in an enterprise must take responsibility for keeping the organization safe. Cybersecurity is everyone's job, not just the concern of the security and IT teams.

Most organizations are motivated to introduce security awareness and training based on their experience with being breached or knowledge of threats or breaches in their industry or sector. And as AI permeates many aspects of our lives, it's more vital than ever to implement the appropriate awareness and training efforts to protect against today's most widespread threats.

Safeguard your enterprise and learn more about the Fortinet Security Awareness and Training Service.