Phishing Training People Can Use at Work
Practice realistic phishing decisions, payment checks and reporting with employees. Make it easy to ask for help before or after a mistake.
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Phishing training helps staff notice a suspicious request. Your own rules tell them what to do with it: who checks a supplier's new bank details, how to handle a sign-in approval they didn't ask for, and how to report a mistake. Saying you're not sure should be enough to ask for help.
Key Takeaways
- Train around the decisions employees actually make.
- Make reporting clear and usable even after someone has clicked.
- Measure whether the process works, not only whether staff completed a lesson.
This guide was originally published on 2019-08-09. Its guidance was substantially updated on October 2, 2026.
Practice a decision, not just a definition
Use an example your team encounters: a supplier changes bank details, a document asks for a new sign-in or a caller asks someone to approve a security prompt. Have staff describe the approved verification or reporting step.
Avoid using real customer information or live malicious links in an exercise. A safe example should let people practice the decision without creating an unnecessary exposure.
Make reporting possible after a mistake
Employees need a clear route for reporting a suspicious message and a separate understanding of what to do if they already interacted with it. Ask for the relevant facts without making staff feel they must first prove an incident occurred.
Someone who has entered a password, approved a sign-in or sent money should report that action promptly. “I am not sure” is enough to start a support conversation. Do not require employees to investigate a suspicious site themselves.
Check whether the process works
Include new employees and people who temporarily cover finance or management responsibilities. Review whether they can find the reporting method, identify a trusted contact and explain the verification step.
Training complements technical protections and clear permissions. It is not evidence that employees will catch every attack. Treat recurring confusion as feedback about the workflow, and update the instructions when the tools or responsibilities change.
For business payment requests, the FTC recommends independent verification. Build that habit into finance procedures so completing a training module does not become the only defense against a convincing request.
Talk through the next step
Our security awareness training comes as short lessons by email with no logins, gamified, with new content every month and a monthly phishing simulation. It’s included or an add-on, depending on your plan. Book a 30-minute call with our North Canton team about phishing training for your staff.
Reference: official guidance.