In many African companies, employees receive cybersecurity training to identify phishing emails and other digital threats. These trainings include attack simulations and fraud prevention strategies, benefiting both organizations and workers by protecting their personal and professional information. Phishing tests have gained popularity as a tool to strengthen digital security. Beyond corporate protection, detecting these attacks helps employees avoid financial losses and identity fraud. Anna Collard, Senior Vice President of Strategy at KnowBe4 AFRICA, fell for a simulated phishing test while checking her emails in an Uber, demonstrating how distraction makes these attacks more effective. Studies show that 14% of employees regularly fall for these scams, and 45% do so due to distractions.
South Africa is set to become the hub of energy innovation
Training employees enhances their security and job stability. “Phishing tests are not meant to punish but to strengthen the ability to respond to real attacks,” explains Collard. Avoiding these scams protects employees’ digital identity and professional reputation while also contributing to business stability.
The prevalence effect, a phenomenon that reduces threat awareness when incidents occur infrequently, highlights the importance of continuous training. African companies can turn these tests into learning opportunities, fostering an organizational culture where cybersecurity is a shared responsibility.
In critical sectors like banking and government, where an attack can have severe consequences, phishing training can be crucial for job security. “I’ve seen environments where security is so essential that repeated failure in phishing tests can lead to dismissals,” says Collard. Training employees not only protects businesses but also empowers workers to navigate an increasingly challenging digital world.
