Reimagining security awareness: A CISO's guide to human risk management success

In this CISO guide:

• Moving the needle with human risk management
• A security awareness maturity model
• Progressing from traditional security awareness to human risk management
• Key components of human risk management solutions 
• Benefits of human risk management for CISOs: Measurable financial and operational impact 
• Benefits of human risk management for employees 
• Taking the next steps to human risk management 

Moving the needle with human risk management 

This all-too-common plateau — if not widening gap — between training and risk reduction has sparked the emergence of human risk management. This approach doesn't replace traditional security awareness but enhances it by connecting real-world behaviors with targeted learning moments that provide guidance when needed most. 

The goal isn't to catch people doing wrong. It's to empower them to make better security decisions naturally as part of their daily workflow. When organizations shift from purely compliance-driven training to behavior-focused support, security becomes less about checking boxes and more about building lasting habits that protect the organization and employees. 

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A security awareness maturity model 

Download the complete 5 stages of security awareness program maturity infographic.

Every organization's journey toward a stronger security culture follows a unique path, but patterns emerge in how security awareness programs typically evolve. Understanding these stages helps you recognize where you are and plan your next steps, giving you a roadmap for growth. 

The five stages outlined in our maturity model represent this natural progression. From beginning efforts focused on meeting basic requirements through expanding awareness with role-based training to achieving true cultural change through behavioral insights and real-time learning — each stage brings its own achievements and opportunities. 

As a CISO, recognizing your current position in this maturity model allows you to set realistic goals and make strategic investments. At the initial compliance stage, organizations need different approaches than those ready to implement advanced human risk management solutions. The path isn't about racing to the final stage but making purposeful progress that aligns with your organization's security goals and culture. 

Most organizations find themselves somewhere in the middle stages — having established regular training and phishing simulations but struggling to move beyond completion metrics to demonstrate actual security improvements. Human risk management can provide significant value to this transition point, bridging the gap between awareness activities and measurable risk reduction. 

Progressing from traditional security awareness to human risk management 

90% of data breaches are predicted to include human elements. (Forrester) 

The transition to human risk management marks a natural evolution in how CISOs approach security awareness programs. It builds upon them rather than replacing existing programs by adding real-world behavioral insights and timely interventions. 

This progression brings tangible benefits across your organization. Security operation teams see fewer alerts requiring investigation as employees receive guidance before risky actions become security incidents. For example, instead of dealing with multiple data loss prevention alerts from the same behavior, your teams can address the root cause through targeted training. 

The impact extends beyond reduced alert volumes. You gain clear metrics to demonstrate program value to leadership. Rather than relying solely on training completion rates or phishing test results, your team can show actual reductions in risky behaviors and security events. 

Consider the difference between teaching someone to drive and helping them become better. Traditional awareness provides essential knowledge, like understanding traffic signs and rules. Human risk management adds real-world coaching, offering guidance right when someone's about to make a risky maneuver. 

"The beauty of human risk management platforms is they take this concept and give everyone a centralized database to leverage, and automate the entire thing," says Theo Nasser of Right-Hand Cybersecurity. 

Many organizations struggle with disconnected security teams. GRC focuses on compliance, while SOC handles daily threats. Human risk management bridges this gap by creating a shared view of security behaviors, helping teams work together to reduce risk and improve outcomes. 

With 90% of data breaches predicted to include human elements by 2024, according to Forrester, and average breach lifecycles exceeding 200 days costing $5.46M versus $4.07M for those under 200 days, as reported by IBM, these collaborative improvements can have substantial financial impact. 

Key components of human risk management solutions 

There are five distinguishing advantages to human risk solutions: 

• Automation: Streamline alert responses and training delivery. 
• Centralization: Unite security data and insights in one view. 
• Customization: Tailor content to specific roles and risks. 
• Personalization: Deliver relevant training at the right time. 
• Cost reduction: Lower alert volume and security incidents. 

Increasing risk visibility with centralized risk aggregation 

Moving beyond standard approaches requires new ways to spot and address risky behaviors. Human risk management solutions provide detailed visibility into your organization's security posture through risk scores that span departments, roles and individual employees. 

These solutions extract real behavioral data from your tech stack by connecting with your existing security tools through pre-built integrations. Whether pulling information from your SIEM, EDR or other security tools, this approach helps teams quickly spot and respond to security events while reducing alert fatigue. 

Incorporating behavioral data in security training 

Infosec HRM, powered by Right-Hand Cybersecurity, allows you to measure and address your organization's vulnerabilities via pre-built integrations with your security tools (e.g., SIEM, SOAR, DLP). Learners receive an automated training nudge via corporate communication tools (Slack and Teams) and/or email.

This visibility helps security teams break through the common plateau many organizations hit with traditional awareness training. While users might complete all their assigned modules, security teams often struggle to see practical results. 

By incorporating real-world behavioral data, you can target training based on actual risks you're seeing. When you spot patterns and alert data like repeated exposure to malicious downloads or credential theft attempts, frequent password resets due to poor credential hygiene, or high-risk behaviors observed in endpoint security tools, you can create focused campaigns that address specific threats targeting your organization. This moves training from generic best practices to practical guidance based on real security events. 

"When you're taking that assessment, you know you're gonna be graded on it, so you're performing. But with HRM giving you nudges in Slack constantly about the things that you're doing, you're put in a state where you know you're constantly having to be a little bit more accountable," notes Keatron Evans from Infosec. 

Emphasizing continuous learning and adaptation 

Rather than relying solely on annual training, human risk management emphasizes continuous learning through in-the-moment guidance. Employees who trigger security alerts receive immediate feedback through familiar channels like Slack or Microsoft Teams. This real-time education helps them understand and correct risky behaviors as they happen. 

This creates an ongoing feedback loop where integration data shapes training content, and improved behaviors reduce alert volumes. Instead of waiting for the next scheduled training session, employees get relevant guidance right when they need it most. 

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Empowering employees in the cybersecurity process 

The approach transforms security from a top-down mandate to shared responsibility. Employees become active participants in security rather than passive training recipients. They understand how their actions impact security and receive practical guidance for making better choices. 

The shift also promotes stronger collaboration between security operations and awareness teams. Instead of working separately, these groups share insights and coordinate responses. Security operations identify behavioral patterns causing alerts, while awareness teams develop target training to address specific risks. 

When you implement a human risk management solution, you're not just adding another tool to your security stack. You're creating a framework that connects human behavior with your existing security investments, maximizing the effectiveness of both. 

Benefits of human risk management for CISOs: Measurable financial and operational impact 

Security leaders face growing pressure to demonstrate the value of their programs while reducing risks and costs. Human risk management helps meet these challenges by fostering meaningful collaboration between departments and providing clear metrics that matter to leadership. 

As a CISO, you can move beyond traditional security training and integrate behavioral risk intelligence into your security strategy. Instead of presenting basic completion rates or phishing test scores, your teams can show concrete improvements in security behaviors and reductions in alert volumes. This data-driven approach helps communicate ROI to the board through metrics directly tied to business impact: fewer security incidents, reduced response cost and more effective use of security team time. 

"We can correlate it to a reduction in actual security alert volume…if you were properly coaching and educating people, they should be doing less bad and more good behavior. That is proof that it's working," says Theo Nasser of Right-Hand Cybersecurity. 

This approach also maximizes existing security investments. Rather than requiring an entirely new security stack, human risk management solutions integrate with your current tools to gather behavioral insights. This helps your organization get more value from existing security spending while improving outcomes. 

The benefits extend beyond metrics. Security operation teams spend less time investigating repeated alerts for the same behaviors. Awareness teams can focus on delivering targeted training that drives real change. Employees get practical guidance that helps them work more securely without disrupting their daily tasks. 

Benefits of human risk management for employees 

How human risk management benefits employees 

Instead of sitting through generic training, employees receive personalized, bite-sized guidance that matters to their role. No more clicking through irrelevant content or taking quizzes they can guess without learning. 

The practical security knowledge they gain applies at work and home, making security part of their natural workflow rather than an interruption. This personalized approach builds confidence in security decisions and creates lasting changes. 

The positive impact on security operations teams 

For SOC teams, human risk management cuts through alert noise to spot critical issues. By reducing repeat incidents through targeted training, teams spend less time investigating common user errors and more time addressing sophisticated threats. 

This optimization frees up resources while strengthening alignment with awareness teams for a more coordinated security program. Teams can finally break free from alert fatigue and focus on strategic security priorities. 

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The positive impact on security awareness and GRC teams 

Awareness teams gain clear direction on training priorities based on actual security events. Rather than guessing what might help, they track measurable results tied to specific behaviors. Automatic training reminders and targeted intervention streamline workflows. 

This data-driven approach creates cultural change that reduces risk and prevents costly breaches while breaking down traditional department silos. Teams can demonstrate real program value through concrete metrics and behavioral changes that matter to the organization. 

As the person responsible for both security operations and awareness initiatives, you'll appreciate how human risk management creates natural bridges between previously disconnected teams. The shared data and common goals foster collaboration that enhances the effectiveness of your entire security program. 

Taking the next steps to human risk management 

CISOs play a key role in shaping security culture — transforming security awareness from a compliance requirement into a business advantage. Begin by opening conversations between your security operations and awareness teams about the behaviors creating the most security alerts. This dialogue helps identify where targeted interventions could have the most significant impact. 

Look at your existing security tools. What behavioral insights can you gather from your current stack? Many organizations already have valuable data about user actions in their SIEM or email security tools. Understanding this data helps guide initial training efforts and build support for broader program changes. 

Start small with focused initiatives. Pick one or two common behavioral issues and create targeted interventions. Track the results to demonstrate value before expanding. For example, if you notice patterns in data handling alerts, start with specialized training for the most affected teams. 

Remember that building a strong security culture takes time. Focus on progress rather than perfection, celebrating small wins while working toward larger goals. As you see positive results, you can expand your program and explore dedicated human risk management solutions that automate and enhance these efforts. 

Want to take a proactive approach to human risk management? Schedule time with one of our team members and learn how you can enhance your security awareness program and mitigate human risk.