Gartner, Inc. has recognized Terranova Security as a Security Awareness Program Platforms Representative Vendor in its 2020 Market Guide for Security Awareness Computer-Based Training (SACBT). Terranova Security, a 2019 Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice vendor for SACBT, received the Peer Insights distinction as a vendor in a market that includes ready-to-use, interactive software modules.
The effectiveness of the Terranova Security Awareness Platform is based on its content delivery capabilities, sophisticated and scalable reporting metrics, integrations with broader corporate learning systems, and the ability to test and evaluate the awareness training efficacy across a given end-user population. These capabilities help global organizations tackle some of the biggest challenges for security awareness programs: measuring security awareness activities, tailoring messaging for different audiences, and building a security-centric culture.
“We believe this recognition by Gartner reflects our commitment to delivering an engaging, informative, and effective security awareness training experience to organizations around the world,” said Lise Lapointe, author and CEO of Terranova Security. “We think it also underlines our ongoing mission to reduce the human risk factor in cyber security by positively changing user behavior through impactful training programs and anti-phishing initiatives.”
Terranova Security joins forces with Microsoft, officially kicking off the partnership in 2020. Terranova Security and Microsoft have been working together to bundle high-quality security awareness training content for enterprise solutions, helping organizations bring an evidence-based, measurable security awareness training approach to their end users.
“Microsoft’s technological reach and status as a leader in the cyber security field has helped enrich and strengthen our security awareness training offering,” added Lise Lapointe. “This partnership empowers our organization to provide effective, people-centric security awareness training solutions on an unprecedented scale.”
Other major market drivers include the ability for organizations to adapt to the fundamental changes in the workforce, most notably a spike in location-based workforce disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, email phishing will be the strongest security awareness training focus area for 2020 and 2021, followed by security awareness best practices for remote workers.
“Within the past year, we have been faced with both the COVID-19 global pandemic and significant global economic instability and uncertainty, “said Gartner. “A natural by-product of changes in normal work location and normal work operations is the requirement to accurately and effectively communicate what these changes mean to end users across the organization, and any resulting security implications.” In practice, we think this means ensuring that employees possess the knowledge needed to avoid COVID-19-based phishing scams and protect confidential organization data while working remotely.
“People directly affect security outcomes more than technology, policies or processes,” added Gartner. “The market for [SACBT] remains driven by the recognition that perfect cybersecurity protection is not possible, resulting in people frequently on the front lines of potential security incidents. Individuals’ awareness of potential security concerns relates directly to their behaviors when challenged by adversaries.”
In the Market Guide, Gartner listed four major current recommendations for security and risk management leaders responsible for security awareness training programs:
- Build security awareness programs around using platforms that offer diverse, contextually appropriate content delivery capabilities, and that measure success through meaningful metrics.
- Utilize additional information security metrics beyond phishing testing “click rates” to determine program success, such as incident response metrics, employee monitoring reports, unsanctioned application usage and sensitive data metrics.
- Involve and actively solicit groups and individuals outside of IT and information security to help ensure widespread support and approval for your security awareness program.
- Evaluate security awareness training as a managed service if there is a gap in security awareness expertise on staff, or if other budgetary, financial or program-driven constraints exist.
- We believe Terranova Security training programs address those key recommendations by excelling in the following areas:
- Offering an inclusive library of high-quality content with ongoing innovations around accessibility, mobile responsiveness, and gamification, as well as an overall emphasis on user-friendliness.
- Using a diverse collection of content formats, including microlearning and nanolearning modules, to provide a more engaging end user experience.
- Providing administrators with detailed, customizable metrics that measure user progress and acumen, and encourages positive, lasting behavior change.
- Recognizing and supporting the use of a cyber security ambassador program as a key tactic to promote organizational awareness and enthusiasm for all training initiatives.
- Allowing organizations to benefit from robust managed services options, as well as tailored one-on-one CISO coaching sessions that help cyber security leaders strengthen their training programs and ensure they meet their short and long-term objectives.
In such a rapidly evolving market, Gartner also unscored the importance of interactive CBT platforms platform interactivity as a central component of comprehensive security education and behavior management programs. “An effective security awareness program requires executive sponsorship, organizational buy-in and interactive involvement from a number of constituents. CIOs and [CISOs] must support security awareness programs through technology support and delivery to end users, as well as ensuring meaningful and relevant content is shared appropriately,” stated Gartner in the Market Guide.
With a globalized approach to security awareness training that utilizes CEO Lise Lapointe’s five-step framework, Terranova Security continues to be at the forefront of the international movement to help organizations train the cyber heroes of tomorrow and, in the process, keep their confidential data safe from cyber threats.
Visit the Terranova Security website to download your copy of the 2020 Gartner Market Guide and read more about the Terranova Security recognition as a SACBT Representative Vendor.
You can also register now for the 2020 edition of the Terranova Security Gone Phishing Tournament and obtain a free phishing simulation for your organization. For more information, visit the sign-up page.
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Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice constitute the subjective opinions of individual end-user reviews, ratings, and data applied against a documented methodology; they neither represent the views of, nor constitute an endorsement by, Gartner or its affiliates.
