CIS Control 14: Managing Human Security Risk

Technology alone does not stop cyber incidents. Most successful attacks exploit human behavior, phishing emails, social engineering, credential misuse, or simple mistakes made under pressure. Organizations that treat security awareness as a compliance exercise remain exposed. Those that develop security skills as an organizational capability materially reduce risk. 

CIS Critical Security Control #14, Security Awareness and Skills Training emphasizes that employees, contractors, and privileged users understand their role in protecting the organization. This control explicitly recognizes people as part of the attack surface and part of the defense. 

For executives, CIS Critical Security Control #14 is not about training completion rates. It is about reducing preventable incidents, strengthening operational resilience, and protecting trust. 

The Business Impact of Human-Centered Attacks 

Phishing, credential theft, and social engineering remain among the most common and costly attack vectors. These incidents rarely succeed because controls are missing. They succeed because users are unprepared to recognize and respond appropriately. 

 High-impact breaches frequently trace back to:

• Employees clicking malicious links 

• Reused or exposed credentials 

• Failure to report suspicious activity quickly 

When human risk is unmanaged, technical controls are bypassed with minimal effort. CIS Critical Security Control #14 addresses this gap by ensuring the workforce is trained, aware, and capable of acting as one of the components of an early warning system rather than a liability. 

What CIS Critical Security Control #14 is Designed to Achieve 

Under CIS Controls v8.1, Control #14 focuses on role-based, continuous, and measurable security training, rather than one-time awareness events. 

The key objectives include:

• Providing baseline security awareness for all personnel 

• Delivering specialized training for high-risk and privileged roles 

• Reinforcing behaviors through ongoing education and testing 

• Ensuring training content reflects real-world threats 

The intent is to embed security awareness into daily operations, not isolating it as an annual compliance task. 

Security Awareness as Preventive Risk Control 

From a leadership perspective, security awareness reduces the likelihood that routine actions escalate into incidents. Trained employees are more likely to recognize phishing attempts, question unusual requests, and report anomalies early

This directly supports:

• Faster detection of attacks 

• Reduced incident frequency and severity 

• Lower response and recovery costs 

• Improved effectiveness of technical controls 

Executives benefit because awareness training shifts risk left, preventing incidents before response teams and legal counsel become involved:

Role-Based Training and Accountability

CIS Critical Security Control #14 emphasizes that not all users present equal risk. Executives, administrators, developers, and finance personnel face different threat profiles and require tailored training.

Effective programs align training depth to access level and business impact. For leadership, this ensures accountability: individuals with elevated privileges receive training commensurate with the risk they introduce.

This approach reinforces governance by demonstrating that the organization understands and manages human risk deliberately, not generically.

Creating a Culture of Reporting, Not Blaming 

An effective awareness program encourages employees to report suspicious activity without fear of reprisal. Early reporting often makes the difference between a contained event and a material breach.

Control #14 supports this by reinforcing:

• Clear reporting mechanisms 

• Expectations for timely escalation 

• Leadership support for proactive behavior 

Executives gain confidence that the organization will learn about threats internally rather than from customers, regulators, or the media.

Regulatory and Audit Considerations

Security awareness and training are foundational requirements across regulatory frameworks, including HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, and GDPR. Regulators increasingly expect evidence that training is relevant, role-based, and effective.

CIS Control #14 provides a defensible structure for meeting these expectations. Executives can demonstrate due diligence through documented programs, participation metrics, and outcome-based measures.

Metrics That Matter to Leadership

Executives need insight into whether training is reducing risk, not just occurring. Useful indicators include:

• Phishing simulation failure and reporting rates 

• Time to report suspected security incidents 

• Training completion by role and privilege level 

• Reduction in incidents caused by user error 

These metrics translate awareness into business outcomes, allowing leadership to assess return on investment and adjust strategy.

Security Awareness as Organizational Resilience 

CIS Critical Security Control #14 reframes security awareness from a soft control into a core resilience capability. Organizations with mature training programs experience fewer successful attacks, faster detection, and stronger alignment between people and technology. 

For executives, implementing this control protects more than systems, it protects operations, reputation, and trust. In a threat landscape where attackers target people first, building security skills across the organization is not optional.

Human behavior will always be part of cybersecurity risk. CIS Critical Security Control #14 ensures it becomes part of the defense.