Five of the best security awareness platforms that incorporate micro-learning

Five of the best security awareness platforms that incorporate micro-learning. (Image source: 123RF)

---

Effective security awareness training ensures that your organisation’s employees know how to recognise and halt phishing attacks. Especially when combined with realistic simulations, micro-learning is the smartest approach, delivering a constant reinforcement in the flow of work.

Here, we’ll take a look at some of the top security awareness training platforms that incorporate micro-learning.

• Micro-learning is the most effective way to drive real behaviour change around phishing and other attacks that target employees.
• Hoxhunt, Adaptive Security and Brightside all deliver highly personalised bite-sized content and micro-learning follow-ups that are automatically triggered by a simulation fail.
• Fortra and Mimecast offer customised short training content with nano-learning reinforcement.

Phishing attacks are a persistent threat that’s seemingly getting more sophisticated all the time. Malicious actors are constantly changing tactics and channels, and now they’re using AI to generate personalised lures that are extra convincing. It only takes one second of distraction or panic for an employee to be taken in, and then all your firewalls and SIEMs might just as well not exist.

That’s why security awareness training is so critical – but it’s only effective when it’s implemented in the right way. There’s no such thing as one-and-done when it comes to security awareness. You need it to be constant and relentless. Micro-learning is the best way to achieve this, because it doesn’t disrupt work and the repetition reinforces memory retention to bring about behaviour change.

• Improves retention. Short, focused lessons are easier for people to remember than long, infrequent sessions.
• Enables rapid updates. It’s easier to refresh short content to address new risks and trending phishing TTPs as policies or threats evolve.
• Supports behaviour change. Frequent reminders reinforce security behaviours and help turn secure actions into habits, especially when the lessons are triggered by responses to related simulations.
• Boosts engagement. Bite-sized content feels less overwhelming and is less likely to be tuned out than a two-hour quarterly lecture. Quick modules minimise disruption to daily work.
• Improves completion rates. Employees are more likely to finish short modules.

While micro-learning is the gold standard, it’s not offered by every training platform. That’s why this press release reviews five top security awareness training platforms that lean heavily into micro-learning.

Fortra’s security awareness training is based on bite-sized content, with shorter nano-learning follow-ups for when employees fail a simulation.

The extensive, customisable training content is targeted for specific risks and covers many cyber security topics. However, it can feel a little staid compared to some competitors, and the personalisation and continuous assessment feedback is less strong.

Fortra key capabilities:

• Short, focused modules targeting individual topics to teach specific security risks in minutes and reinforce specific behaviours.
• Nano-learning and nano-videos that work with phishing simulations to deliver just‑in‑time reinforcement after real‑world simulated mistakes.
• Integrations with existing IT systems for streamlined deployment and mobile‑friendly delivery that lets learners complete modules quickly anywhere.
• Gamified and interactive content in diverse content formats for engaging training experiences.
• Campaign automation, dashboards and a modular content library to make it easier to assemble tailored training paths, deliver modules and track progress.
• Accessible content in many languages and formats.

Hoxhunt delivers continuous bite‑sized learning moments into work routines via native integrations with e-mail and collaboration tools.

With Hoxhunt, instant micro‑trainings are delivered in tiny, frequent bursts tied to real user behaviour such as risky clicks, helping maintain employee alertness more than regularly scheduled sessions. On the downside, Hoxhunt may be less customisable than some other offerings, but its AI-powered dynamic personalisation of learning journeys makes up for this.

Hoxhunt key capabilities:

• Adaptive AI‑driven phishing simulations determine which micro-learning is delivered when, and adjust content difficulty and frequency to individual behaviour and skill levels.
• Real‑world threat intelligence informs content, keeping lessons relevant to current attacks. Training includes AI-powered attacks like deepfakes, which arrive on communication channels other than e-mail.
• Real behaviour change driven by positive reinforcement, gamified leaderboards and badges, as well as real‑time feedback that ties micro-learning directly to user actions.
• Automated delivery keeps micro-lessons ticking over automatically in the background, without any need for manual campaign builds.
• Multilingual support with content and reporting in multiple languages and global rollout readiness.
• Admin dashboards provide behaviour analytics and risk scoring for program tracking, with rich data-based storytelling using real metrics like reporting rate lift and repeat clicker reduction.

Mimecast delivers constant video-based training in short bursts, together with reinforcement micro-learning in response to specific behaviours.

Training is automated as a long-term drip campaign with risk scoring for targeted follow-ups, although follow-ups have to be sent manually. Mimecast’s training is narrative and engaging, but it’s not very broad in scope, and the value might not be realised if you don’t use the rest of the Mimecast suite.

Mimecast key capabilities:

• Short, engaging video‑based modules using humour and sitcom‑style storytelling to maintain attention and improve retention.
• Automated delivery so users receive regular bite‑sized lessons every week or month, rather than long, infrequent sessions.
• Training tied to realistic threats and current trends, with 12-15 new modules annually, covering current threats and best practices.
• Risk scoring per individual based on tests and behaviour to identify those who need further training, with post‑module quizzes to gauge understanding.
• Phishing simulation integration helps test real‑world awareness alongside learning.
• Cloud‑based platform that integrates with Mimecast’s e-mail security platform for shared threat intelligence and automated triggers for just‑in‑time training.

Adaptive Security’s multi-channel training security awareness learning is personalised and based on OSINT data, covering next-gen AI-powered attacks like deepfakes and multi-vector attacks.

It automatically delivers micro-trainings when an employee fails a simulation. However, Adaptive Security incorporates less gamification than some competitors, and can be complex to set up in a way that delivers the full value.

Adaptive Security key capabilities:

• Bite‑sized modules that last under 10 minutes and are easy to complete in the flow of work, with micro-learning triggered right on failure.
• Always‑fresh content with ongoing updates and new micro‑lessons tied to emerging threats and based on OSINT data about the organisation.
• Personalised training paths based on role, risk profile and user behaviour.
• Deepfake and AI threat training with multi-channel micro‑engagements that expose users to next‑generation social engineering like AI voice or video attacks.
• Automated delivery and risk‑based grouping that rolls out micro-training according to rules that segment users based on risk level and performance.
• Reporting and analytics that give visibility into micro-learning engagement, improvement and individual risk reduction.

Brightside AI automates delivery for bite-sized, chat-based gamified learning about attacks across multiple vectors, as well as micro-training reinforcements triggered by simulation fail.

It offers personalised, role‑based scenarios that are aligned to actual employee profiles, but the reporting and analytics are less robust than some competitors, and the content library is still evolving and currently somewhat limited.

Brightside key capabilities:

• Bite‑sized, interactive modules delivered in short, focused sessions, with targeted follow‑up modules assigned automatically when simulations reveal risky behaviour.
• Gamified learning elements and chat‑based learning delivered via the Brighty conversational learning companion.
• Automated delivery and scheduling that allows recurring micro-learning paths to run automatically for departments or the whole organisation.
• Customised simulations using OSINT‑driven personalisation that base training on each employee’s real digital footprint to give context to learning.
• Organisational oversight dashboards to monitor completion, gap areas and curriculum coverage.

Why is it important to choose a security awareness training platform that incorporates micro-learning?

The short, frequent lessons that are delivered with micro-learning help to reinforce security awareness and turn ideal behaviours into deep-seated habits. Bite-sized trainings don’t disrupt the flow of work like long seminars or workshops, and employees are more likely to focus on and complete a 10-minute training than a two-hour lecture.

What types of real-world threats can micro-learning modules cover?

Micro-learning modules can address many real world threats, including phishing, BEC, social engineering, malware and safe password practices. Some security awareness training solutions like Hoxhunt and Adaptive Security cover next-generation AI threats like deepfakes and vishing attacks.

Which platform is the best for phishing awareness micro-learning?

A number of solutions have strong phishing awareness micro-learning capabilities. Hoxhunt stands out for its dynamic, adaptive micro-learning reinforcements, and Brightside and Mimecast also offer engaging and gamified bitesized content. Fortra and Adaptive Security deliver micro-modules that are less gamified but still effective.

How frequently should I run phishing awareness micro-learning?

Ideally you should run phishing awareness micro-learning continuously to reinforce behaviour, and certainly at least monthly. Platforms like Fortra, Mimecast and Hoxhunt support regular simulations paired with short micro-lessons to keep employees alert to evolving threats.

What metrics can organisations use to measure the impact of micro-learning programmes? 

Organisations typically measure phishing click rates, reporting rates, training completion, time-to-report suspicious e-mails and overall risk score improvements. Hoxhunt, Adaptive Security, Fortra, Mimecast and Brightside’s security awareness training platforms all provide dashboards and analytics to track these metrics and demonstrate improvements in employee security behaviour over time.