6 Steps Every CISO Should Use for a Successful Security Awareness Campaign

According to Gartner, Inc., global spending on security and risk management continues to rise, highlighting the growing importance of effective cyber security leadership. The role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has never been more critical, particularly when it comes to ensuring that security budgets are invested wisely and deliver measurable risk reduction.

Security Awareness Training plays a key role in mitigating attacks that exploit human behaviour. This is reinforced by a McKinsey report, which identifies employee engagement and training as a core component of cyber maturity. As a result, CISOs increasingly allocate budget to security awareness initiatives, recognising that people are often the first line of defence.

However, investment alone does not guarantee success. To maximise return on investment, security awareness programmes must be strategic, engaging, and continuously improved. Below are six practical steps CISOs can follow to build a successful and sustainable security awareness campaign.

Six Steps to Maximise Security Awareness Success

The human element of cyber attacks is now well established, with research indicating that the vast majority of incidents involve some form of human interaction or error. Security Awareness Training is widely recognised as one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of human-centred cyber attacks. With global spending on awareness programmes continuing to grow, a structured approach is essential to ensure that investment delivers real behavioural change.

Step 1: Secure Buy-in from the Board and C-Suite

Meaningful change starts at the top. Cyber security is no longer solely an IT issue; it is a board-level concern. When senior leadership visibly supports security initiatives, it sends a powerful message across the organisation and helps embed a culture of security.

With executive and board buy-in, CISOs are better positioned to implement the tools, processes, and training required to reduce risk effectively. Leadership support provides the foundation needed to roll out a successful Security Awareness Training programme.

MetaCompliance tip: Many data protection regulations and standards mandate security awareness training. Use regulatory requirements to reinforce the business case for a structured programme.

Step 2: Understand Your Organisation’s Risk Landscape

An effective security awareness programme begins with a clear understanding of organisational risk. Assess the threat landscape relevant to your sector, technologies, and ways of working. Consider factors such as cloud usage, remote working, password practices, and the types of data handled by employees.

Regulatory obligations may also differ by industry, particularly where sensitive or personal data is involved. Awareness training should reflect these requirements and help employees understand their responsibilities under relevant regulations.

MetaCompliance tip: Align policies and procedures with training content so awareness initiatives actively reinforce secure behaviours.

Step 3: Make Training Relevant and Engaging

Security Awareness Training must resonate with its audience to be effective. Generic, one-size-fits-all content is far less likely to influence behaviour. The most successful programmes use interactive, engaging formats that reflect real-world scenarios employees may encounter.

Common awareness topics include:

• Password hygiene and authentication
• Email scams and social engineering
• Malware and removable media risks
• Safe internet and remote working practices
• Social media privacy and security
• Compliance obligations and employee responsibilities

Phishing simulation exercises are a particularly effective way to reinforce learning by exposing users to realistic attack scenarios in a safe environment.

MetaCompliance tip: Interactive and scenario-based content delivers higher engagement and stronger retention.

Step 4: Teach Employees How to Spot Phishing

Phishing remains one of the most prevalent and successful cyber attack methods. Modern phishing campaigns are increasingly sophisticated, often delivered through large-scale ‘phishing-as-a-service’ platforms designed to steal credentials, deploy malware, or initiate ransomware attacks.

Training employees to recognise phishing indicators is therefore essential. Phishing simulation solutions allow organisations to test user responses, reinforce best practice, and reduce susceptibility to real attacks.

MetaCompliance tip: Design phishing simulations to reflect the types of attacks most commonly targeting your industry.

Step 5: Measure Effectiveness with Meaningful Metrics

Measuring performance is critical to understanding whether a security awareness programme is delivering results. Effective programmes use a combination of qualitative and quantitative metrics, such as:

Surveys: Assess employee understanding and perceptions of training.

Phishing simulation results: Track click rates, reporting behaviour, and improvement over time.

Reporting metrics: Monitor how frequently employees report suspicious activity.

Visualising these metrics provides valuable insights for both leadership and programme owners.

MetaCompliance tip: Use metrics not only to refine training, but also to inform updates to security policies.

Step 6: Continuously Adapt and Improve

Cyber threats evolve constantly, and security awareness programmes must evolve with them. Use insights gained from metrics to refine future training, address emerging risks, and accommodate organisational changes such as new technologies or onboarding of new employees.

Regular reviews ensure that awareness initiatives remain relevant, effective, and aligned with real-world security challenges.

Learn More About MetaCompliance Solutions

A successful security awareness campaign relies on more than isolated training sessions. MetaCompliance helps CISOs build sustainable programmes that address human risk, drive behavioural change, and support long-term cyber resilience.

Our Human Risk Management Platform enables organisations to strengthen their security culture through:

• Automated Security Awareness
• Advanced Phishing Simulations
• Risk Intelligence & Analytics
• Compliance Management

By combining behavioural insights with measurable outcomes, MetaCompliance supports CISOs in maximising the impact of their security awareness investments. Contact us today to book a demo.