3 cybersecurity exercises that work (even if you’re low on time or budget)

There’s never enough time to plan. Budget is tight. And many awareness efforts feel disconnected from people’s daily work.

We’ve pulled together three practical cybersecurity exercises for employees you can start using today—even with a small team. These ideas are low-prep, low-cost cybersecurity training options that help you build security awareness without adding stress. 

And with the right tools, like Secure Practice’s training platform, you can build real engagement without burning out your resources.

Why smaller organizations struggle with cybersecurity exercises

​​Cybersecurity exercises are the bridge between knowing about threats and actually being able to handle them—whether they show up in your inbox, hit your network, or disrupt your workday.

And yet, for many small and medium-sized organizations, turning good intentions into action feels out of reach.

They know they need cyber awareness training, but they assume it requires complex scenarios, expensive software, or a full-time security team. Others believe cybersecurity exercises are only useful for large enterprises. 

In reality, simple cybersecurity activities—done consistently—can dramatically reduce human risk and improve everyday decision-making.

But the benefits go beyond just threat prevention. Teams that practice cyber incident response tend to:

• Make faster, more confident decisions during emergencies

• Build automatic security habits over time

• Improve cross-functional coordination between departments

With platforms like Secure Practice, even organizations without dedicated security staff can implement meaningful, human-centered cybersecurity exercises that fit into real workflows and grow with your team’s needs.

The 5 types of cyber security training that actually work

Cybersecurity training is a system for building real-world capability. But not all training works the same way. The most successful programs combine different types of learning to meet people where they are, across roles and risk levels.

Here are five core types of cyber security training that have proven effective across organizations of all sizes:

1. Awareness-building: quick phishing simulations, myth-busting quizzes, and email tips that keep threats top of mind.

2. Skill-building: interactive scenarios and cyber tabletop exercises that let people practice safe decisions in realistic situations.

3. Response coordination: exercises that help departments work together during incidents and uncover communication gaps.

4. Leadership preparedness: exercises that train managers to handle pressure, brief stakeholders, and make fast, informed decisions.

Culture-building: recognition programs and informal learning that turn secure behavior into everyday habits.

3 low-prep cybersecurity exercises anyone can run

If you’re wondering how to improve cybersecurity awareness across your organization, the answer isn’t more rules—it’s smarter, more human-centered learning formats.

These three low-prep cybersecurity exercises are designed to fit into real work life. They cover the essential categories found in most effective training programs, including awareness training, incident response exercises, and cyber tabletop exercises. 

1. Run a smart phishing test in under 3 hours—no security team needed

Phishing simulations delivered via email are one of the fastest ways to improve threat recognition. They’re one of the most popular types of cyber security training, and you don’t need a big budget or in-house security team to get started.

The key is to make them relevant. Instead of random, generic emails, start with the kinds of scams your team is most likely to encounter.

Work to build threat recognition skills (not just phishing shame)

Before we dive into the specifics of the simulation, we need to talk about why most phishing training fails—and how to do it differently.

Recent research presented at Black Hat 2024 confirms what security professionals have suspected: traditional phishing training often wastes time and may even harm security culture.

The study found that generic, punitive simulations can increase risky behavior rather than reduce it. But here's what the research also shows: the problem isn't with phishing simulation itself—it's with how most organizations implement it.

Erlend Andreas Gjære, our CEO at Secure Practice, co-founded the company after years of studying how real people interact with cybersecurity—first as a research scientist, then as an advisor to businesses and public sector teams. 

His research and real-world experience pointed to a gap: most phishing programs focus on who clicks, when what really matters is what people do next.

As Erlend explains in his essay, The Missing Link in Email Security:

Reporting phishing is a security behaviour that involves identifying a threat, stopping yourself from clicking the link, and informing someone else. That’s not just a single step—it’s a small chain of decisions that requires both awareness and confidence.

It’s not enough to test whether people click. You need to help them build up that “small chain” of decisions through relevant examples, timely feedback, and follow-up support.

The missing link in most phishing programs isn't the simulation—it's what happens next. We believe that when someone clicks a simulated phishing link, that’s a learning opportunity.

Here’s how to bridge that gap: 

• Immediate, supportive feedback: instead of shame, provide context about why the email was realistic and what specific elements to watch for

• Easy reporting mechanism: give people a simple way to report suspicious emails, whether real or simulated

• Follow-up support: check in with people who struggled, offer additional resources, and celebrate those who reported threats

• Behavioral tracking: monitor reporting behavior and threat recognition over time, not just click rates

What makes a good starter simulation?

Start with threat intelligence. Research actual phishing campaigns targeting your industry:

• If you're in healthcare, focus on fake medical supply invoices or HIPAA violation notifications

• If you're in finance, emphasize wire transfer fraud attempts or regulatory compliance alerts

• If you're in education, consider fake IT support requests or student information verification scams

Then, customize for different roles within your organization.

If you don’t have time to research attacks, Secure Practice makes this easy: our simulated phishing platform comes with pre-built scenarios based on real threats in healthcare, finance, education, and more. 

Unlike traditional phishing simulators that focus on catching people making mistakes, Secure Practice emphasizes building positive security behaviors:

• Real-time threat intelligence: our simulations mirror actual attacks targeting your industry, pulling design and content straight from actual fraud attempts

• Supportive learning paths: when someone clicks, they receive helpful context and next steps, not punishment

• Integrated reporting tools: every simulation teaches people how and when to report suspicious activity using MailRisk

• Behavioral analytics: we track improvement in threat recognition and reporting behavior, providing a complete picture of security maturity

Our goal is to help train teams that don't just avoid clicking malicious links, but actively contribute to organizational security by reporting threats and helping colleagues stay safe.

What can you do in under 3 hours?

Whether you’re a small business or a growing team, this is a simple cybersecurity activity that delivers a high return with minimal prep.

If you’re just starting out, skip the advanced branching attack chains. One well-targeted email and a short feedback loop can spark the behavior change you're aiming for.

Send an initial simulation to 25% of staff as a pilot group to practice threat recognition and test the realism and difficulty level. Monitor learning progress, and follow up with supportive guidance. Focus on building capability, not catching mistakes.

Then, analyze results and refine your approach based on feedback and performance data.

Finally, launch the full simulation across the organization with clear educational follow-up.

Here’s what that works up to:

2. Send a 10-minute challenge that teaches habits people actually use

You don’t need an LMS, a security trainer, or a content writer to make people more security-aware. Some of the best learning happens in 10-minute chunks—the kind people can do over coffee.

The “trick” is keeping it specific and practical. Instead of explaining cybersecurity, give people something they can try, react to, or solve.

Take a look at these nine example micro-challenges, organized by topic:

Password hygiene

Link checking

File sharing

You can make these micro-challenges work, even without a training department. Just post one per week in Slack, Teams, or your internal comms channel. The format should be:

• Visual: use polls, GIFs, quick screenshots, or links to short interactive modules

• Simple: make each challenge doable in under 10 minutes

• Varied: alternate between questions, decision-making tasks, and quick quizzes

The goal isn’t to test people. It’s to help them build better security habits, which happens through repetition, not pressure.

Make it even easier with Secure Practice e-learning

Secure Practice makes all of this plug-and-play. Our gamified e-learning modules are:

• Bite-sized and focused, so people can complete them without interrupting their work

• Visual and interactive, turning lessons into memorable mini-games

• Language-inclusive, with 14 built-in language options and automatic content translation

• Customizable, so you can create your own modules around specific tools, policies, or risks

You can even assign topics based on interests or roles—like giving IT teams a different challenge from marketing or finance.

Behind the scenes, Secure Practice uses anonymized behavioral data (like how people engage with phishing simulations or report suspicious activity) to tailor the gamified security training challenges they receive.

• Struggling with suspicious links? You’ll get a module on URL verification.

• Repeatedly ignoring password hygiene? That person gets a challenge about password managers.

This dynamic targeting ensures people get the right kind of support, while protecting their privacy and avoiding shame or punishment.

3. Walk through a realistic cyber incident, with no tech setup

Traditional tabletop exercises—where teams gather around a conference table to discuss hypothetical scenarios—have been the gold standard for incident response training in large enterprises. But they often require facilitators, formal documentation, and significant time investment.

We're entering a new era of cyber exercises that keep the collaborative discussion benefits while making them accessible to any team size. You don’t need an external facilitator or incident response team. You just need 3–5 people, a 15-minute scenario, and a willingness to talk through “what if.”

One of the most effective scenarios is a ransomware attack. It’s high-stakes but easy to imagine, and every department has a role to play.

This lightweight approach takes the best parts of traditional tabletop methodology and makes it practical for busy, resource-conscious teams:

Run it simply but meaningfully, by assigning real roles (CEO, IT, HR, comms), keeping it time-boxed (30–60 minutes max), and documenting takeaways, not performance. 

Remember, you don’t need to simulate panic. What you’re really practicing is decision-making, clarity, and alignment under pressure.

End the exercise by assigning one improvement to implement, like policy, a checklist, or a communication template.

And when you’re ready to make these scenarios easier to run—or repeat more often—there’s an even simpler way.

Coming soon: interactive, zero-prep scenarios with PrepJam

PrepJam has long been part of Secure Practice’s privacy-focused human risk management platform, helping people build cybersecurity skills and confidence. Now, it will soon become available in a new interactive format—zero-prep, self-service scenarios you can assign to your team in minutes.

Each scenario walks participants through real-world threats like ransomware, phishing, and business email compromise, using branching storylines, practical decision points, and instant feedback to turn learning into action.

Whether you’re running a tabletop in person or want something teams can do on their own time, PrepJam helps you turn cyber awareness into actual practice:

• Self-guided, click-through scenarios that feel like a conversation

• Tailored by team or role (e.g., finance, HR, IT)

• Trackable engagement with insights built in

• Designed for low-prep teams who want high-impact learning moments

It's the collaborative thinking of traditional tabletop exercises, made scalable and accessible for the modern workplace.

Make training stick: measure what matters

Once you’ve tried one or more cybersecurity exercises, don’t stop there.

The real value comes from the reflection, the conversations, the behavior change that happen next. That’s why it’s so important to track engagement, follow up intentionally, and adapt based on what you learn.

Traditional click rates only scratch the surface. To see the true impact of your cybersecurity exercises for employees, look at indicators like behavior change, peer discussion, and improvement over time.

Here are a few smarter metrics that reveal real progress:

These signals help you spot who’s developing strong instincts, and who might need more support.

See what’s working, no spreadsheets needed

You don’t need to chase down completions, export CSVs, or beg people to answer surveys. Secure Practice handles this automatically with a dashboard that shows:

• Completion rates: who’s engaging with training, without needing manual reminders

• Click behavior in phishing: who’s spotting threats, and who’s still at risk

• Module-level progress: which security awareness content is effective vs. skipped or repeated

• Anonymized team-level trends: which roles or departments may need extra support

• Engagement patterns: where people are dropping off or losing interest, and what’s working best

All of this happens behind the scenes—no spreadsheets, no learning management system headaches.  Just open the platform and instantly see who’s participating, what content actually lands, and where behavior is improving or slipping.

Secure Practice gives you the tools, the feedback loops, and the visibility to do it right, without creating more work for yourself or your team.

Build real capabilities, not just checkboxes

Cybersecurity exercises help real teams build the confidence, coordination, and reflexes they’ll need when an actual threat comes through the inbox or across the network.

The best programs aren’t the most sophisticated—they’re the most consistent.

The exercises in this guide work because they’re:

• Simple to set up, even with a small team

• Grounded in how people actually behave at work

• Designed to scale with your organization’s maturity

• Focused on capability, not just awareness

This approach is grounded in what actually works: giving people the context, confidence, and tools they need to respond well when something feels off. Research like The Missing Link in Email Security and recent findings shared at Black Hat make it clear: training that’s supportive and relevant builds real capability.

Fear and shame don’t create better security habits. Empowerment does. That’s why our approach focuses on realistic challenges, smart follow-up, and tools that adapt to how people really work.

Secure Practice helps you do all of this with less effort and more impact. From phishing simulations and e-learning modules to tabletop exercises and behavioral metrics, it’s a full toolkit for human-focused cybersecurity training.

You don’t need a big budget or in-house experts. Just a few minutes a week, a few good scenarios, and a platform that adapts as your needs evolve.

FAQs about cybersecurity exercises