Experience-Driven and Intrinsic Learning in Cybersecurity

Experience-driven learning

Experience-driven learning can take many forms, including:

• Practical simulations
• Role-playing exercises
• Individual hands-on learning
• Team-based exercising

For example, some employees may be presented with micro exercises that pivot around key risk areas such as device security, data handling or social engineering.
Others may participate in a tabletop exercise that simulates a ransomware attack, allowing them to practice incident response, crisis management, and recovery procedures in a safe and engaging environment.
More technical teams can experience a real attack on real infrastructure in a cyber range, working together to identify and understand the attack using defensive and forensic tools. 

These types of activities foster intrinsic learning, driven by personal interest and the desire for self-improvement rather than external rewards like grades or promotions. These types of activities also engage natural human behaviours related to gamified learning, both individually and as a team. 

Intrinsic learning

Intrinsic learning can be particularly valuable, especially in the context of cybersecurity, because it allows employees to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the subject matter beyond what is required for their job.

This approach to learning is not only more engaging and effective but also helps organizations identify areas for improvement and potential vulnerabilities. Intrinsic learning can also help foster a culture of continuous learning within the workforce. By encouraging employees to pursue their interests and explore new areas of cybersecurity, organizations can create an environment where individuals feel empowered to take ownership of their learning and seek out new opportunities for growth and development.

To make your cybersecurity training more experiential and foster intrinsic motivation for learning, consider the following steps:

Align with personal goals
Empower team members to align upskilling pathways with their career aspirations and professional development.

Emphasize real-world relevance
Showcase how the skills learned directly apply to current cybersecurity challenges and job responsibilities.

Provide autonomy
Allow learners to freely explore different topics and skills. 

Create a supportive environment
Encourage peer-to-peer learning and mentorship opportunities to build a culture of continuous improvement.

Celebrate progress
Recognize and highlight individual and team achievements to boost confidence and motivation.

Implement adaptive challenges
Gradually increase difficulty levels, ensuring learners are consistently challenged but not overwhelmed - the right level of learning is more important than the quantity. 

Encourage reflection
Prompt learners to analyse their performance after each exercise, especially team-based, fostering a growth mindset and self-awareness.

Facilitate knowledge sharing
Organize regular debriefing sessions where individuals can discuss their experiences and insights gained from the training.

Connect to organizational impact
Demonstrate how improved cybersecurity skills contribute to the overall success and resilience of the organization.

Provide immediate feedback
Leverage Immersive Labs' real-time feedback mechanisms to help individuals understand their progress and areas for improvement.

By implementing these steps, you can create a more engaging and intrinsically motivating cybersecurity training experience, fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development within your organization.

Conclusion

Incorporating intrinsic and experience-driven exercises into your cyber resilience strategy can be an effective way of measuring and improving your overall resilience. Today, the need to exercise effectively has become a key feature of many cyber security frameworks and directives such as ISO27001, NIS2 and DORA, requiring organisations to maintain proof with policies and procedures underpinned by data and results. 

What have you experienced in your own upskilling journeys to get you where you are today, have you found some ways work better than others; Individual, team, hands-on, theory, classroom? 

What are your favourite ways to learn and stay motivated with the ever-changing cyber landscape right now? 

Share your stories and insights in the comments below!