In an era where technology is deeply woven into our daily lives, the demand for robust cybersecurity education has reached unprecedented levels.
However, traditional cybersecurity training methods often fall short, lacking engagement and ensuring retention. Recognizing this critical gap, ELB Learning has embarked on a mission to revolutionize cybersecurity education with its groundbreaking training module.
In a candid chat with John Blackmon, Chief Technology Officer of ELB Learning, Augustin Kurian, Editor-in-Chief of The Cyber Express, gained insight into the innovative training module. Blackmon highlighted a common challenge in traditional training methods: the “forgetting curve.” Learners tend to forget approximately 80% of what they’ve learned within a week. He highlights that passive learning doesn’t engage the brain as effectively as active learning.
To illustrate, he drew an analogy with driving a car: actively participating as a driver makes it more likely that you can find your way back than being a passive passenger.
ELB Learning’s Gamified Cybersecurity Training
ELB Learning’s gamified experience, developed in collaboration with Cybercatch, aims to counteract the forgetting curve by fostering active involvement. Learners assume the role of a hacker in this immersive experience, encouraging a depth of engagement akin to “experiencing” rather than “learning.”
Such experiential learning methodologies are instrumental in reinforcing retention and understanding, allowing users to vividly remember training details.
Integrating gamified elements and a role-reversal approach is groundbreaking in cybersecurity education. When learners step into the shoes of an adversary, they gain a unique perspective on potential vulnerabilities and attack vectors.
This experience enables users to think proactively about cybersecurity threats and to understand the nuances of spear-phishing and other prevalent hacking techniques, developing a cybersecurity mindset that is anticipatory rather than reactive.
This innovative approach represents a “giant leap” in cybersecurity training and education, particularly considering the current digital landscape, where corporations continually grapple with sophisticated cyber threats.
The human factor often serves as the weakest link in organizational security, making this training essential for employees at all levels of the corporate hierarchy.
Contemporary trends in cybersecurity education gravitate toward more interactive and engaging learning experiences. This is imperative in today’s digital era, where incessant advancements and increasing reliance on technology make it essential for individuals and organizations to stay abreast of evolving cybersecurity threats. Incorporating immersive learning experiences is crucial in fostering a more informed and vigilant workforce.
The game leverages a multiple-choice interface, offering an innovative and entertaining platform that enhances the training experience. The evolution of the modern workplace and its employees has elevated expectations for training modules. Immersed in an era teeming with engaging streaming options, modern employees demand similar entertainment in their learning experiences. The project’s inception stemmed from recognizing this unmet need in the market, especially within a domain traditionally perceived as dry and lackluster: cybersecurity training.
To address this, the game integrates elements of sarcasm and humor, simulating real-life interactions with colleagues. This approach makes the learning process enjoyable and enhances retention and comprehension of the knowledge imparted. It reflects a conscious effort to align learning methodologies with entertainment formats that today’s employees are familiar with, rendering the learning experience more aligned with contemporary entertainment consumption habits.
A Paradigm Shift in Cybersecurity Training
Current trends in cybersecurity education highlight a shift towards more interactive and engaging learning experiences. The increasing complexity and sophistication of cyber threats necessitate a well-informed, regularly updated workforce engaged in cybersecurity best practices. This ongoing transformation aims to dismantle the pre-existing, monotonous structures of cybersecurity education, replacing them with dynamic and immersive learning experiences.
Traditional training modules, often characterized by extensive documents or slides, are becoming outdated and ineffective. The gamified experience provided by innovative platforms is set to become a staple in cybersecurity education, given its alignment with contemporary preferences for interactive and entertaining content. This shift is essential in maintaining employee engagement and ensuring the assimilation of crucial information, thereby fostering a more robust cybersecurity culture within organizations.
Cybersecurity Training: Future Perspectives and Enterprise Adoption
When queried about forthcoming plans and enterprise adoption strategies, Blackmon expressed optimism without committing to a specific launch date. Collaborative marketing efforts with Cybercatch will likely expedite the game’s introduction to the market. The approach for this innovative project appears to be multifaceted, catering to individual users and large organizations, predicting its eventual normalization across diverse organizational structures.
This anticipation of widespread adoption is not just limited to cybersecurity training. The dynamic and interactive nature of this game has the potential to redefine expectations for other training modules within an organization. Questions arise: “Why can’t my sexual harassment course be like this? Why can’t my corporate rules course be like this?” The longing for engagement and interaction within training modules is clear, and current trends reflect the integration of entertaining elements into serious instructional content, harmonizing education with entertainment.
Scope for Certifications in Cybersecurity Training
Blackmon’s insights on the potential of virtual reality (VR) experience to replace traditional certifications offer a glimpse into the future of cybersecurity training. The immersive and engaging nature of VR can simulate real-world scenarios, making it a viable alternative to traditional certification methods. VR’s adaptability to diverse learning environments and its ability to offer gradable, interactive content position it as a promising tool for reshaping the landscape of certifications in various domains, including cybersecurity.
The discussion also extends into the realm of entertainment-based education, exploring its applicability beyond cybersecurity to diverse sectors like transportation and trucking. This demonstrates the versatility and adaptability of immersive learning. Blackmon’s examples, particularly in the trucking industry, illustrate the shift in training methodologies, leveraging real-life scenarios and user-centric content to elevate the learning experience. Incorporating employees instead of actors in creating content further authenticates the learning material, making it more relatable and enriching.
Cybersecurity education trends reflect the increasing need for more interactive and engaging learning platforms. Traditional methods of imparting cybersecurity knowledge revolve around theoretical learning and are evolving to accommodate more pragmatic and experiential learning experiences. The fast-evolving threat landscape in cybersecurity requires professionals to possess both theoretical knowledge and practical skills to navigate and mitigate cyber threats effectively.
The rise of immersive learning is a testament to the recognition of hands-on experience in enhancing learning outcomes. The juxtaposition of traditional learning with more advanced, entertainment-based education is heralding a new era in cybersecurity education.
While unconventional, this approach is pivotal in fostering an environment conducive to learning, especially in fields like cybersecurity where the concepts can be intricate and complex.
The dramatization of interactions with hackers, as highlighted by Blackmon, is an intriguing aspect of the course. While it enhances engagement by introducing amusing characters and dialogues, it also retains the essence of real hacking, which is fundamentally about exploiting vulnerabilities, selecting targets, and crafting phishing emails. This balance between entertainment and realism is crucial in maintaining the integrity of the learning material.
The emergence of immersive learning in sectors beyond cybersecurity indicates its universal appeal and effectiveness. The growing adoption of this form of learning across different industries is fueling innovations in training methodologies, catering to diverse learning preferences, and making education more accessible and enjoyable.
Cybersecurity Training: What Future Holds
ELB Learning’s groundbreaking cybersecurity training, led by Blackmon, represents a paradigm shift from passive to active, immersive, and gamified learning. This innovative approach leverages real-world scenarios and strikes a balance between entertainment and realism to foster a deeper understanding of cybersecurity threats and mitigation strategies.
Not limited to cybersecurity, ELB Learning’s approach is versatile and applicable to various sectors. It illustrates a broader trend towards merging education and entertainment to create lasting cyber learning experiences. Blackmon’s insights and the ensuing developments highlight the pivotal movement towards integrating learning and entertainment, destined to reshape the learning landscapes in multiple domains.