As security professionals, we’ve watched organizations invest millions of dollars in sophisticated security technologies over the years. Intrusion detection and prevention, EDR, SIEM, zero-trust network access — the technological arsenal continues to expand. Yet despite these advancements, human nature remains the most consistently vulnerable security risk.
We regularly hear from security leaders who experienced breaches not because their technology failed, but because an employee was successfully manipulated. Businesses are increasingly recognizing the human risk factor, taking steps to address it through strategic human risk management.
Taking a Data-Driven Approach to Cybersecurity
Security awareness training (SAT) has been the standard bearer for addressing human-centered risks for decades. These programs typically focus on educating users about various cyberthreats, security policies and baseline security practices. Traditional awareness programs serve a valuable purpose. They help to establish foundational knowledge and meet compliance requirements. But what we’ve observed is that most conventional approaches don’t go far beyond simple knowledge transfer. They fail to address the complex behavioral factors that influence the security decisions employees make in real-world scenarios. That’s where human risk management (HRM) comes in.
While SAT focuses on educating employees about cyberthreats and organizational policies, HRM utilizes a data-driven approach that aims to identify, quantify and mitigate risks associated with human behavior in cybersecurity.
Human Risk Management: A Necessary Evolution
HRM represents a significant advancement in addressing the human element of security. In fact, studies show that a majority (74%) of CISOs consider human error the greatest security risk. Instead of focusing only on knowledge transfer, HRM takes a more holistic approach to identify, quantify and systematically reduce the risks associated with human behavior.
Here’s what distinguishes HRM from traditional security education:
- Establishes Meaningful Measurement
When working with organizations across industries, we often discover that the assumptions they make about the greatest human risks they face don’t match reality.
For instance, a manufacturing company might focus heavily on phishing prevention when actually the highest risk they face is from poor password hygiene or improper data handling.
Effective HRM uses sophisticated assessment methods to reveal actual human risk baselines. This might include simulated attacks, scenario-based testing, behavioral analytics and cultural assessments.
- Embraces Personalization
We’ve seen too many organizations run identical security programs across different departments and risk profiles. Developers, finance teams, customer service reps and executives face different risks and therefore require different approaches.
Effective HRM tailors interventions based on individual and group risk profiles: The finance team handling wire transfers needs specific guidance on business email compromise (BEC) attacks, while development teams need focused attention on secure coding practices. This targeted approach delivers significantly better results than generic training.
- Operates as a Continuous Assessment
The most effective organizations we work with have moved away from focusing solely on security education. Instead, they’re taking an HRM focus that represents a continuous cycle of assessment, intervention, measurement and refinement. Education is a part of this — but not the only part. This continuous approach has allowed security teams to demonstrate actual risk reduction — a far more meaningful metric for senior leadership than training completion rates, and a compelling way to support security investments.
- Becomes Part of Organizational Culture
We frequently tell our clients that security awareness shouldn’t be a separate activity but should flow through everything an organization does. HRM operationalizes this philosophy. When security becomes embedded in “the way we do things here” instead of being viewed as a separate compliance requirement from auditors, companies can experience real and lasting behavioral change. As organizations focus on cultural integration, they can move to the highest maturity level in human risk reduction.
Why Business Leaders Should Care
For executives and board members, the shift from education to risk management represents a fundamental shift to addressing human security challenges. Financial leaders appreciate that mature HRM finally delivers what traditional programs often lack: Measurable risk reduction and demonstrable ROI. Organizations with effective security awareness programs can reduce cyber risks by as much as 70%. Further, our data also shows that organizations practicing regular SAT are 8.3 times less likely to appear on public data breach lists. Organizational leaders concerned with business resilience can turn to HRM to address the reality that employees don’t have to be a significant security liability — they can be a powerful security asset and ally in protecting company systems and data.
Making the Transition
Based on our experience helping thousands of organizations enhance their security posture, transitioning from traditional awareness to comprehensive HRM requires:
- Executive commitment to viewing human risk as a business issue rather than just an IT problem.
- Technology investments in tools that can measure and manage behavioral risk indicators.
- Cross-functional collaboration between security, HR and departmental leadership.
- A shift in metrics from completion-focused to risk-reduction outcomes.
Yes, security awareness training is a valuable element of any security strategy, particularly for establishing foundational knowledge. But SAT alone is not enough. To reduce employee-driven security risks measurably and meaningfully, organizations need to embrace HRM. The evolution from knowledge transfer to building a strong security culture represents the future of effective risk management.
