Introduction: The Growing Need for Human Risk Management
Cybersecurity breaches are no longer just a result of hacking; increasingly, they’re happening because of human error. A shocking 74% of data breaches involve the human factor, according to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report. Whether it’s a careless mistake, mishandling privileged access, or falling victim to a phishing scam, human vulnerabilities are consistently the weakest link in cybersecurityTraditionally, companies have relied on generic security awareness training and phishing simulations to address these risks. But these approaches fall short in today's complex digital landscape, where threats are more sophisticated, frequent, and targeted than ever.
This is where Human Risk Management (HRM) comes in—a modern, proactive approach to managing human-related security risks. HRM combines the power of detection and prevention into a continuous, measurable strategy that empowers organisations to stay ahead of evolving threats. In this guide, we’ll explore what HRM is, why it’s critical, and how it outperforms traditional methods in the battle against human error in cybersecurity.
In this blog, we'll cover:
What is Human Risk Management?
Human Risk Management (HRM) is a comprehensive cybersecurity methodology that identifies, mitigates, and manages risks arising from human behaviour within organisations. Unlike traditional approaches, HRM operates as a continuous cycle focused on two pillars: Detection and Prevention.
The HRM Cycle
HRM is an iterative process composed of four key stages:
- Identify: Spot vulnerabilities and assess risks to determine where human-related threats exist.
- Train: Deliver role-specific training based on identified risks.
- Verify: Simulate real-world cyber threats to test employee readiness and assess training effectiveness.
- Monitor: Continuously track behaviours and adjust strategies to ensure ongoing risk reduction.
In this cycle, HRM integrates tools like uBreach, uLearn, uPhish, and uPolicy, ensuring that these processes are seamless, automated, and scalable. This empowers IT leaders to manage risks proactively, without waiting for a breach to occur.
The Evolution from Traditional Training to HRM
Traditional Security Awareness Training:
- What it involves: Generic, one-size-fits-all training modules delivered periodically, often without ongoing assessment or customisation.
- Limitations:
- Lack of role-specific content.
- Training fatigue due to infrequent or irrelevant sessions.
- Minimal alignment with real-world threats, leading to a reactive rather than proactive approach.
Today’s attackers rely more on subtle, malware-free methods such as phishing, social engineering, and exploiting trusted relationships, which traditional security awareness training often fails to address.
HRM: The Modern Alternative
Human Risk Management goes beyond awareness training by addressing the human element of cybersecurity in a proactive, continuous cycle:
- Behavioural Analytics: HRM uses behavioral data to pinpoint specific vulnerabilities and provide tailored training.
- Phishing Simulations & Continuous Monitoring: By simulating real-world attacks and continuously monitoring user actions, HRM ensures employees are constantly prepared.
- Actionable Insights: HRM empowers organisations with data that allows them to make informed decisions and improve their security posture over time.
Why HRM is the Go-To Method:
- Adaptability: HRM evolves with emerging threats, ensuring employees are trained and ready to address specific emerging threats
- Precision: HRM targets individual roles and behaviours, ensuring resources aren’t wasted on irrelevant content.
- Measurable Results: HRM provides clear, quantifiable metrics for risk reduction, compliance improvements, and overall cybersecurity health.
The Growing Need for HRM
Why Cybersecurity Requires a Human-Centric Approach:
- Increased Threat Surface:
- Remote and hybrid work has exponentially increased the risk of breaches caused by human error.
- As cyber threats become more sophisticated, users are targeted more than infrastructure.
- Compliance Demands:
Organisations face growing pressure to comply with frameworks like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS, all of which emphasise user awareness and data protection. HRM simplifies the process of meeting these requirements by automating training and reporting.
- Evidence of ROI:
A Forrester study (2022) reported that organisations implementing tailored HRM saw a 47% reduction in security incidents caused by human error, resulting in measurable cost savings.
- Workforce Evolution:
The workforce is more distributed than ever, requiring flexible, scalable solutions for security awareness.
How HRM Works in Practice
The HRM cycle unfolds in four stages, supported by usecure’s automated tools:
Stage 1: Identify
- What happens: Use tools like uBreach and uPolicy to assess vulnerabilities across your organisation.
- Example: Identify exposed credentials on the dark web or outdated security policies within teams.
- Outcome: Clear visibility into areas of risk and prioritisation of interventions.
Stage 2: Train
- What happens: Role-specific, interactive training programmes delivered through tools like uLearn.
- Example: A finance team receives targeted training on invoice fraud and phishing emails, while developers are trained on secure coding practices.
- Outcome: Improved awareness and readiness to handle threats.
Stage 3: Verify
- What happens: Simulate threats using tools like uPhish to assess how users respond to real-world attacks.
- Example: Conduct a phishing simulation and monitor the response rates to identify users requiring further training.
- Outcome: Continuous validation of training effectiveness.
Stage 4: Monitor
- What happens: Track behavioural trends and ongoing risk levels through automated dashboards.
- Example: Monitor employee performance over time, adjusting training programmes as necessary.
- Outcome: A proactive, data-driven approach to reducing risks.
As shown in the HRM cycle diagram above, this process unfolds in four distinct stages, HRM integrates tools like uBreach, uLearn, uPhish, and uPolicy, ensuring that these processes are seamless, automated, and scalable. This empowers IT leaders to manage risks proactively, without waiting for a breach to occur.
See HRM in Action:
For a technical walkthrough of deployment, watch our HRM Platform Demo, showcasing how usecure streamlines risk detection, training, and compliance.
HRM for SMBs vs. MSPs
HRM for SMBs:
With cloud intrusions up 75%, SMBs need cost-effective, scalable solutions to protect their hybrid workforces.
- Protect distributed workforces with tailored training.
- Automate compliance reporting for frameworks like GDPR and PCI DSS.
- Reduce incidents of human error with targeted interventions.
HRM for MSPs:
Only 35% of CISOs feel their boards allocate adequate cybersecurity budgets, making cost-effective, demonstrable solutions like HRM critical.
- Scale HRM services for multiple clients.
- Demonstrate measurable ROI for end-clients with automated risk scoring and phishing simulations.
- Differentiate service offerings with value-added HRM solutions.
The ROI of HRM: Why It Matters
- Cost Savings: Reduce the frequency of human-caused breaches, saving on incident response and downtime.
- Time Savings: Automate training, monitoring, and reporting to free up valuable resources.
- Client Retention (For MSPs): Offering proactive HRM services demonstrates value and builds trust.
Future-Proofing Cybersecurity with HRM
As cyber threats become more sophisticated, HRM continues to evolve. Innovations such as AI-driven phishing detection and predictive analytics ensure that organisations remain one step ahead. By adopting HRM, IT leaders can confidently protect their organisations against human-related security risks, today and tomorrow.
Why HRM is Essential
The shift from traditional training to Human Risk Management is more than a trend—it’s a necessity. By addressing human risk as an ongoing process, organizations reduce vulnerabilities, improve compliance, and save costs. usecure’s platform amplifies these benefits through four integrated modules:
- uLearn: Delivers role-specific, automated training programs tailored to individual risk profiles, ensuring employees address their unique vulnerabilities.
- uPhish: Simulates real-world phishing attacks to test resilience, with instant feedback and micro-training for at-risk users.
- uBreach: Continuously scans the dark web for exposed credentials, enabling proactive mitigation of compromised accounts.
- uPolicy: Centralizes policy management with automated eSign tracking, ensuring employees understand and adhere to security protocols.
Together, these modules create a seamless HRM cycle—identifying risks, training users, verifying readiness, and monitoring behaviors—all within a single platform.