Phishing attacks are about to get a lot worse. AI-powered phishing and deepfake attacks are projected to increase in both volume and sophistication by 2026. That’s not speculation. That’s what’s already happening in boardrooms and IT departments across every industry.

Your security awareness training topics need to reflect this reality.

Most security programs still teach the same tired topics from five years ago. Password rules everyone ignores. Generic email warnings that don’t account for AI-generated threats. Annual compliance checkboxes that put people to sleep.

That approach won’t cut it anymore.

The training topics you choose for 2026 need to address real threats your employees will face. Not theoretical risks. Not compliance theater. Real attacks that are happening right now and getting more sophisticated every month.

This guide covers the essential security awareness training topics your program needs. Each topic includes what makes it critical, how to train on it effectively, and what your employees actually need to know to stay protected.

Why Security Awareness Training Topics Matter More in 2026

Your technical defenses aren’t enough. Human error remains the leading cause of security breaches across every sector.

That single fact explains why choosing the right security awareness training topics is critical. You can deploy the best firewalls, endpoint protection, and threat detection systems money can buy. But if someone clicks a convincing phishing link or misconfigures a cloud database, those defenses become irrelevant.

The threat environment has shifted dramatically. Attackers now use AI to create phishing emails that pass traditional detection tests. Deepfakes fool employees into approving fraudulent wire transfers. Social engineering tactics exploit remote work vulnerabilities that didn’t exist three years ago.

Your training needs to keep pace with these changes.

Effective security awareness programs focus on behavioral change, not checkbox compliance. The goal isn’t to satisfy audit requirements. The goal is to turn your employees into an active defense layer that recognizes threats and responds appropriately.

That requires covering the right topics with practical, actionable training that employees can actually apply when they encounter real threats. Generic awareness content doesn’t work. Specific, scenario-based training on relevant topics does.

Phishing Awareness: The #1 Security Training Priority

Phishing remains the most dangerous attack vector targeting your organization. Every security awareness training program must make phishing awareness the top priority.

Traditional phishing training taught employees to look for spelling errors and suspicious sender addresses. Those indicators no longer work reliably. AI-generated phishing emails now match the writing quality and formatting of legitimate business communications.

Modern Phishing Threats Your Employees Face

Spear phishing attacks target specific individuals with personalized content harvested from social media and public sources. An attacker researches your CFO’s interests, recent company announcements, and typical communication patterns. They craft messages that look completely legitimate.

Business email compromise attacks impersonate executives or trusted partners. An employee receives what appears to be an urgent request from the CEO to wire funds or share sensitive data. The email address looks correct at first glance.

Whaling attacks go after senior executives with high-value access. These sophisticated campaigns use multiple touchpoints across email, phone, and social media to build trust before making the actual attack.

Training Employees to Recognize Phishing

Focus training on verification behaviors, not just threat indicators. Teach employees to independently verify any request involving money, credentials, or sensitive data before responding.

Use simulated phishing exercises regularly. Send realistic test phishing emails that reflect current attack techniques. Track who clicks and provide immediate, non-punitive training to those who fall for the simulation.

Create clear reporting procedures. Make it easy for employees to report suspicious emails with a single click. Reward reporting behavior, even for false positives. You want a culture where people feel comfortable raising concerns.

Build verification into your workflow. Require dual authorization for wire transfers. Mandate callback verification for credential reset requests. Make security procedures part of normal business operations.

See our detailed guide to phishing training for employees for specific implementation strategies.

Password Security and Multi-Factor Authentication

Weak passwords and credential theft enable most successful breaches. Your security awareness training must address password security with practical, sustainable approaches.

The traditional password advice doesn’t work. Forcing complex passwords that change every 90 days just makes people write them down or use predictable patterns. Modern password security focuses on different principles.

Teaching Effective Password Practices

Promote password managers across your organization. Employees can’t remember dozens of unique, complex passwords. Password managers solve this problem while dramatically improving security.

Explain why password reuse is dangerous. When one service gets breached, attackers test those credentials against every other platform. A weak password on a hobby forum can compromise your corporate email.

Train on passphrase creation for accounts that can’t use password managers. Four random words create stronger passwords than complex character substitutions. “correct horse battery staple” beats “P@ssw0rd!” every time.

Multi-Factor Authentication Implementation

Multi-factor authentication blocks most credential theft attacks. Even if attackers steal a password, they can’t access the account without the second factor.

Train employees on MFA setup and use. Show them how to configure authentication apps, understand backup codes, and respond to authentication prompts safely.

Address MFA fatigue attacks in your training. Attackers sometimes spam MFA prompts hoping the user approves one to stop the notifications. Teach employees to report suspicious MFA requests immediately.

Emphasize that MFA protects both corporate and personal accounts. Encouraging MFA use on personal email and social media accounts prevents credential theft that could enable social engineering attacks against your organization.

Ransomware and Malware Protection

Ransomware attacks have evolved from opportunistic threats to targeted extortion campaigns. Your employees need to understand their role in preventing malware infections.

Modern ransomware attacks often start with phishing or social engineering. An employee opens a malicious attachment or visits a compromised website. The malware installs silently, then encrypts critical files and demands payment.

How Employees Enable or Prevent Malware

Train on safe download practices. Employees should only download files from verified sources. Even emails from known contacts can contain malware if that contact’s account was compromised.

Explain the danger of macros and scripts. Many malware attacks rely on users enabling macros in Office documents. Unless there’s a specific business need, macros should stay disabled.

Teach recognition of malware delivery methods. Fake software updates, trojanized utilities, and malicious browser extensions all trick users into installing malware voluntarily.

Ransomware Response Training

Speed matters in ransomware incidents. Train employees to recognize potential ransomware symptoms: files becoming inaccessible, unexpected encryption messages, or unusual system behavior.

Create clear escalation procedures. Employees should know exactly who to contact if they suspect malware. Every minute of delay allows ransomware to encrypt more files.

Practice incident response through tabletop exercises. Walk teams through ransomware scenarios. Test whether everyone knows their role in containing and reporting potential incidents.

Never assume backups will save you. Cloud misconfigurations account for a significant portion of data breaches, and attackers increasingly target backup systems specifically.

Social Engineering Defense Tactics

Social engineering attacks manipulate human psychology to bypass technical security controls. These attacks work because they exploit trust, authority, urgency, and other psychological triggers.

Effective training helps employees recognize manipulation tactics and respond appropriately. This goes beyond phishing to include phone calls, in-person impersonation, and multi-channel attacks.

Common Social Engineering Techniques

Pretexting attacks create believable scenarios to extract information. An attacker calls pretending to be from IT support, asking for credentials to “fix a problem.” The scenario sounds legitimate, so employees comply.

Authority exploitation uses perceived power dynamics. Attackers impersonate executives, auditors, or law enforcement to pressure employees into violating security policies.

Urgency manipulation creates artificial time pressure. “We need this information immediately or the deal falls through.” Rushed decisions bypass normal security judgment.

Building Social Engineering Resistance

Train employees to slow down and verify. Create a culture where it’s acceptable to question requests, even from apparent authority figures. Security should never be sacrificed for convenience or speed.

Establish verification procedures for sensitive requests. Before sharing confidential information or credentials, employees should verify the requester through a separate, trusted communication channel.

Practice through realistic scenarios. Role-play social engineering attempts during training. Let employees experience the manipulation tactics in a safe environment so they recognize them in real situations.

Teach the principle of least privilege. Employees should question why someone needs specific information. Just because someone asks doesn’t mean they have legitimate authorization to receive it.

Email Security Best Practices

Email remains the primary attack vector for most cyber threats. Comprehensive email security training extends beyond basic phishing awareness to cover safe email handling practices.

Employees need to understand how email can be weaponized. Malicious attachments, credential harvesting links, and business email compromise all exploit email as a trusted communication channel.

Attachment and Link Safety

Train employees to scrutinize attachments before opening them. Even attachments from known contacts require verification if they’re unexpected or unusual for that sender.

Teach link inspection techniques. Hovering over links reveals the actual destination URL. Employees should verify that displayed text matches the actual link target before clicking.

Emphasize the danger of HTML emails. Sophisticated attacks use HTML to display one URL while actually linking to a different, malicious destination. When in doubt, type URLs manually instead of clicking.

Email Authentication and Verification

Explain how email spoofing works. Attackers can make emails appear to come from trusted domains. Display names are easily faked, so employees must check the actual email address.

Create verification habits for financial requests. Any email requesting fund transfers, payment changes, or credential sharing requires independent verification through a known phone number or in-person confirmation.

Train on email security indicators. Most email systems mark external emails or show authentication status. Teach employees what these indicators mean and when they should raise suspicion.

Mobile Device Security for Remote Workers

Mobile devices create unique security risks that traditional training often overlooks. Employees access corporate resources from phones and tablets, often in unsecured environments.

Remote work has expanded the attack surface dramatically. Employees work from home networks, coffee shops, airports, and co-working spaces. Each environment presents different security considerations.

Mobile-Specific Threat Training

Address the risks of public WiFi networks. Attackers set up rogue access points that intercept traffic. Even legitimate public WiFi can expose unencrypted communications to other users.

Train on mobile phishing threats. SMS phishing and malicious apps target mobile users specifically. These attacks exploit the smaller screen size that makes verification harder.

Explain the importance of mobile device updates. Phones and tablets need security patches just like computers. Delayed updates leave known vulnerabilities exposed.

Secure Remote Work Practices

Teach proper VPN use for remote access. Employees should understand when VPN is required and how to verify they’re actually connected before accessing sensitive resources.

Cover physical security considerations. Mobile devices get lost or stolen. Training should address screen locks, full-disk encryption, and remote wipe capabilities.

Address the risks of mixing personal and business use. Personal apps can access corporate data if installed on work devices. Clear policies and training prevent unintentional data exposure.

Learn more about protecting remote teams in our comprehensive employee cybersecurity training guide.

Data Protection and Privacy Compliance

Data protection isn’t just an IT responsibility. Every employee who handles customer data, financial information, or confidential business records needs to understand their data protection obligations.

Training must cover both the technical aspects of data security and the regulatory requirements that govern data handling in your industry.

Data Classification and Handling

Teach employees to recognize different data categories. Public information, internal business data, confidential records, and regulated data all require different handling procedures.

Create clear guidelines for data sharing. Employees should understand when encryption is required, which communication channels are appropriate for sensitive data, and how to verify recipient authorization.

Address data retention requirements. Employees need to know how long different data types must be kept and when secure deletion is required.

Privacy Regulation Training

Cover relevant privacy regulations for your industry. GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, or sector-specific regulations all impose specific requirements on data handling.

Train on data subject rights. Employees who interact with customers need to understand access requests, deletion rights, and consent requirements.

Explain the consequences of data breaches. Both organizational impact and personal liability help employees understand why data protection matters.

Insider Threats and Suspicious Activity

Not all threats come from external attackers. Insider threats, whether malicious or accidental, require specific training approaches that balance security with workplace culture.

This sensitive topic requires careful framing. You want employees to recognize and report concerning behavior without creating a paranoid environment where everyone suspects their colleagues.

Types of Insider Threats

Malicious insiders deliberately steal data or sabotage systems. These cases are rare but potentially devastating. Motivations include financial gain, revenge, or espionage.

Negligent insiders cause security incidents through carelessness or policy violations. This category includes employees who ignore security procedures or take risky shortcuts.

Compromised insiders have their accounts hijacked by external attackers. The insider isn’t actively malicious, but their credentials enable unauthorized access.

Training on Recognition and Reporting

Teach employees to recognize unusual access patterns. Someone accessing systems they don’t normally use, downloading large amounts of data, or working at odd hours might indicate a problem.

Create clear, confidential reporting channels. Employees should feel comfortable reporting concerns without fear of retaliation or false accusation consequences.

Emphasize that reporting protects everyone. Early detection of insider threats, whether malicious or compromised accounts, minimizes damage and protects both the organization and potentially the insider themselves.

Our article on addressing accidental insider threats provides additional context on this challenging topic.

Incident Reporting and Response Procedures

Fast incident reporting dramatically reduces breach impact. But employees won’t report incidents if they fear punishment or don’t understand what constitutes a reportable event.

Effective training creates a culture where security incidents are treated as learning opportunities, not disciplinary issues. You want employees to report potential problems immediately, even if they’re not certain something is wrong.

What Employees Should Report

Define reportable incidents clearly. Suspicious emails, unusual system behavior, lost devices, accidental data exposure, and security policy violations all require reporting.

Train on the difference between IT support issues and security incidents. Not every problem is a security event, but employees should err on the side of reporting when uncertain.

Emphasize that failed attacks should be reported. Just because someone didn’t fall for a phishing attempt doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be documented and investigated.

Creating Effective Reporting Procedures

Make reporting simple and accessible. Employees should know exactly how to report security concerns: who to contact, which systems to use, and what information to provide.

Provide multiple reporting channels. Email, phone hotlines, and dedicated incident reporting systems give employees options that fit different situations.

Train on immediate response actions. What should employees do after reporting? Continue working normally? Disconnect from the network? Lock their screen? Clear guidance prevents both inaction and overreaction.

Establish response timelines. Employees should know when to expect acknowledgment of their report and what happens next in the investigation process.

AI-Powered Threats and Deepfakes

Artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed the threat environment. Attackers now use AI to create convincing phishing content, deepfake videos, and synthetic voice recordings that fool traditional detection methods.

This emerging threat requires dedicated training that most security awareness programs haven’t yet incorporated. Employees need to understand what AI-powered attacks look like and how to verify authenticity when digital content can be perfectly faked.

Understanding AI-Generated Threats

AI writing tools create phishing emails without grammar errors or awkward phrasing. The traditional indicators that helped employees spot phishing no longer work reliably.

Deepfake videos can impersonate executives making requests. These videos look and sound authentic, making video calls no longer a reliable verification method.

Voice synthesis technology clones voices from short audio samples. Attackers call pretending to be the CEO, using a voice that sounds exactly right.

Training Employees to Verify in an AI World

Teach multi-channel verification for important requests. Don’t rely on a single communication method. If someone calls requesting action, verify through email. If they email, call back through a known number.

Create authentication codes or phrases for critical communications. Pre-established verification methods help confirm identity even when voice or video can be faked.

Train employees to trust processes over perception. Even if something looks, sounds, and feels authentic, verification procedures should always be followed for sensitive actions.

Stay current with emerging AI threats by reading our analysis of emerging social engineering threats.

Cloud Security and SaaS Application Safety

Cloud services and SaaS applications have transformed how organizations operate. They’ve also created new security responsibilities that fall partly on end users.

Employees need training on secure cloud usage, proper configuration of SaaS tools, and understanding shared responsibility models where both the provider and the customer have security obligations.

Cloud Security Fundamentals for Users

Explain the difference between company-managed and employee-configured security. SaaS applications often allow individual users to adjust security settings. Wrong choices can expose sensitive data.

Train on secure file sharing practices. Cloud storage makes sharing easy, but employees need to understand permission settings, expiration dates, and the risks of public links.

Address shadow IT risks. Employees who sign up for unauthorized cloud services to solve work problems create security gaps that IT teams can’t protect or monitor.

Access Control in Cloud Environments

Teach proper access permission management. Employees should understand the principle of least privilege when sharing documents or inviting collaborators to cloud resources.

Cover the risks of leaving services logged in. Browser sessions to cloud applications that remain open create security risks, especially on shared or mobile devices.

Train on recognizing and reporting cloud misconfigurations. Employees who notice security settings that seem wrong should report them, even if they’re not certain there’s a problem.

Internet of Things and Connected Device Security

IoT devices in workplace and home office environments create security risks that most employees don’t consider. Smart speakers, connected cameras, fitness trackers, and other IoT devices can expose corporate networks or intercept sensitive communications.

Remote work has blurred the lines between home and office networks. Corporate devices on home networks share space with poorly secured IoT devices that could be compromised.

IoT Security Training Focus Areas

Teach employees to recognize IoT devices on their networks. Many people don’t realize how many connected devices they use or understand the security implications.

Cover basic IoT security practices. Default passwords must be changed, firmware needs updates, and unnecessary features should be disabled.

Address the risks of voice-activated devices in work environments. Smart speakers can record sensitive business conversations or respond to commands from attackers using audio manipulation techniques.

Segmentation and Network Security

Train remote workers on network segmentation where possible. Home routers with guest network features can isolate IoT devices from computers used for work.

Explain why corporate devices shouldn’t connect to untrusted IoT devices. Bluetooth pairing with unknown devices or joining IoT device WiFi networks can expose corporate data.

Create policies around which IoT devices are acceptable in work environments. Clear guidelines help employees make security-conscious decisions about connected devices.

Supply Chain and Third-Party Risk

Your security extends to your vendors, partners, and service providers. Employees who work with third parties need training on supply chain security risks and safe vendor interaction practices.

High-profile breaches increasingly originate from compromised vendors. An attacker who can’t directly penetrate your defenses will target your suppliers and use that access as a backdoor.

Third-Party Security Awareness

Train employees to verify vendor communications carefully. Attackers impersonate vendors to request credential changes, payment updates, or system access.

Establish verification procedures for vendor requests. Any change to payment information, access credentials, or system configurations requires independent confirmation through known contact methods.

Teach employees to question unusual vendor behavior. If a long-standing partner suddenly requests new information or access, that should trigger verification protocols.

Secure Vendor Data Sharing

Cover proper methods for sharing data with third parties. Understanding which channels are acceptable, when encryption is required, and how to verify vendor identity protects against data exposure.

Train on vendor access management. Employees who grant vendors system access need to understand appropriate permission levels and access duration limits.

Address the importance of access reviews. Vendor access should be regularly reviewed and revoked when no longer needed, but employees must know how to request these reviews.

Physical Security in Digital Work Environments

Physical security remains relevant even in digital-first organizations. Unattended devices, shoulder surfing, tailgating into facilities, and improper disposal of sensitive documents all create security risks.

Training must bridge the gap between cybersecurity and physical security. Many threats require both physical and digital components to succeed.

Device Physical Security

Train on screen locks and automatic timeouts. Unattended computers provide easy access to attackers, whether external threat actors or malicious insiders.

Cover clean desk policies and secure document disposal. Sensitive information on desks, whiteboards, or in trash bins creates intelligence gathering opportunities.

Address laptop and mobile device physical protection. Devices contain credentials, VPN access, and sensitive data. Physical theft enables digital compromise.

Workplace Access Control

Teach employees to verify visitor identity and escort unknown persons. Attackers sometimes gain physical access through tailgating or social engineering at entrances.

Train on proper handling of access badges. Lost badges should be reported immediately. Lending badges to colleagues violates security and creates accountability problems.

Cover secure practices for remote work locations. Home offices, coffee shops, and co-working spaces each require different physical security considerations.

Building a Continuous Security Awareness Culture

Security awareness training isn’t a once-a-year exercise. Effective programs create ongoing awareness through multiple touchpoints and continuous reinforcement.

The goal is cultural change, not compliance checkboxes. Employees should think about security naturally as part of their daily work, not just when training is scheduled.

Continuous Learning Approaches

Use micro-learning modules delivered regularly. Short, focused training sessions work better than annual marathon presentations that employees quickly forget.

Implement just-in-time training triggered by risky behaviors. When simulation phishing exercises catch someone, provide immediate education while the context is fresh.

Vary training formats to maintain engagement. Videos, interactive scenarios, gamification, and traditional instruction all have roles in a comprehensive program.

Measuring and Improving Effectiveness

Track metrics that matter. Click rates on simulated phishing, incident report frequency, and time-to-report all indicate program effectiveness better than completion percentages.

Gather employee feedback on training relevance. Content that employees find useful gets internalized and applied. Generic training gets ignored.

Update topics based on emerging threats and internal incidents. Your training should evolve as the threat environment and your organization’s risk profile change.

See our guide to comprehensive cybersecurity training programs for implementation strategies.

Making Security Awareness Training Work

The topics covered in this guide represent the essential foundation for a security awareness training program that protects against current threats. But topics alone don’t create security.

What actually protects your organization is behavioral change. Knowledge without application provides zero security value. Your training must bridge the gap between understanding threats and taking protective action.

Start with the highest-risk topics for your organization. Phishing and social engineering affect everyone. But your specific risks might prioritize different topics based on your industry, compliance requirements, and actual threat intelligence.

Focus on practical application over theoretical knowledge. Employees don’t need to understand the technical details of how ransomware encrypts files. They need to know what behaviors prevent infections and how to respond if they suspect compromise.

Build security into normal workflows rather than treating it as an additional burden. Verification procedures, incident reporting, and secure communication practices should integrate seamlessly with how people actually work.

What’s your biggest concern about your current security awareness program? The topics you’re not covering? Employee engagement with training? Measuring actual risk reduction? Those are the right questions to ask.

For personalized guidance on building a security awareness training program that addresses your specific needs, explore how effective cybersecurity training addresses the human factor in security.