Is your security program working, or is it just noise? To prove ROI and improve security, you need to measure impact using standardized security awareness metrics. Here are the clear signals of success.
The Big 4 Metrics
1Click Rate
The 'Phish-Prone Percentage'. Goal: Trend downward from ~30% to <5%.
2Reporting Rate
How many report the threat? This measures proactivity. Goal: Trend upward.
3Completion Rate
Are they doing the training? Goal: 100%. Low completion = poor engagement.
4Incident Rate
Real-world malware/breaches. The ultimate lagging indicator.
Tools of Measurement
Phishing Simulations: Test behavior, not just knowledge.
Quizzes: Assess theoretical knowledge gaps.
Surveys: Qualitative data on employee confidence and sentiment.
Reporting to the Board
Speak Their Language
Executives care about risk and money. Don't just show a graph of 'emails sent'. Show the correlation between Training Simulations and Risk Reduction (drop in click rate).
Key Takeaway
"Measurement is about improvement. Use these metrics to identify weak spots—like a department that keeps clicking—and target your resources there."
