Let’s see a show of hands – who likes to have a bit of fun every now and then? We do! There’s a reason why organisations are turning to gamification options when it comes to cyber security awareness training. How many of us have sat through the compulsory training videos on our first day of work at a new organisation and.. hmm the beach sounds great this weekend, it’s meant to nice and sunny. Oh sorry, what were we saying?
Gamification is the new way to teach your employees how to be cyber aware. Research shows that when we learn new information, within 1 hour we’ve already forgotten an average of 50% of the information presented; within 24 hours that increases to 70% and within a week 90%. The educational videos we sit through at orientation for work are great, they tick the compliance box, but what’s the point when 90% of the knowledge is lost to time?
That’s where gamification comes in. Multiple studies, including one published in Finland in 2018, show that the use of gamification has a positive impact on knowledge retention. Although the true extent of that impact has yet to be determined, these studies show promising results. Apart from the nitty gritty psychological reasons why gamification is a great idea, here are several others.
Like we pointed out earlier, who doesn’t like a little bit of fun? Gamification can turn something monotonous and boring, into an interactive and fun experience. This will result in capturing your employee’s attention and interest, and hence increased engagement and motivation.
It can be hard to grasp certain events or skills unless you’ve had first-hand experience. Through gamification, you can simulate real-world scenarios, allowing your employees to practice their cyber security awareness in a safe and controlled environment. This will allow them to better understand potential risks and how to avoid them.
Being able to track the progress and performance of your employees, you’ll be able to identify areas they may need additional training and support in. This will ensure both your staff and your organisation practice both presilience® and resilience.
Although many organisations make certain training programs compulsory, the practice of gamification will not only appeal to a wider range of people, it will also make it more accessible to those who may have been less likely to participate in traditional training methods. And again, if you had to go to work and have fun, who wouldn’t want to participate?
As mentioned above, memory retention tends to be poor with new information. However, the use of gaming elements such as points, badges, leader boards and rewards can help. In fact, according to Gabe Zichermann, co-founder of Dopamine and author of The Gamification Revolution, gamification increases information retention and skills by up to 40%.
So let us ask you one more question. How seriously are you taking your organisation’s cyber security? Because it’s time for all of us to acknowledge, accept and keep up with technology. If you’re committed to ensuring your organisation, clients and staff stay safe from cyber-attacks, then we need to expand our horizons and find new (and fun!) ways to enhance our learning.
Whether you’re looking to reskill your staff to become cyber security specialists or upskill them to ensure they have the latest knowledge and skills, our Cyber Security Analyst program (Certificate IV in Cyber Security – 22334VIC) is the perfect option for you. Not only will it provide them the theoretical knowledge, our Virtual Labs provide students with fun, practical hands-on experience. Take advantage of the current government funding options and ensure your staff and organisation are cyber ready in a fun, timely and practical manner.
The Cyber-Tech Institute of Australia is powered by Wawiwa, a leading tech training provider from Israel, the Startup Nation. Wawiwa focuses on reskilling people for tech professions in high demand.
