Is cyber training worth the effort?
There has been a debate within the cybersecurity industry regarding cyber training effectiveness. On one side are tool providers who claim technology trumps training in securing data, networks, and people. On the other side is the $10-billion cyber training industry, growing at 20 percent per year. That says they must be doing something right.
The real answer is not black and white.
The naysayers point to a recent study done by UC San Diego of its own employee training program. The study said, “Cybersecurity training programs as implemented today by most large companies do little to reduce the risk that employees will fall for phishing scams.” It was a comprehensive study of more than 19,000 university and student employees concluded in the summer of 2025. Seems like a slam dunk, doesn’t it?
Not so fast.