Accelerating Platform Adoption: Quick Wins for Managers
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, staying ahead of cyber threats is critical for every organization. Cybersecurity teams must be equipped with the latest knowledge and skills to effectively protect their businesses, and Immersive is here to help organizations upskill teams smoothly and quickly. Understanding the Immersive Approach In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, staying ahead of cyber threats is critical for every organization. Cybersecurity teams must be equipped with the latest knowledge and skills to effectively protect their businesses, and Immersive is here to help organizations upskill teams smoothly and quickly. To onboard your team effectively, it’s important to understand how Immersive differs from traditional cybersecurity training. As a manager, you should communicate the benefits across the business to end-users, especially since your team may have previously tried traditional cybersecurity e-learning or training. True resilience relies on continuous learning and seamless teamwork, yet current people-centric cybersecurity methods often fall short. Our approach, trusted by major organizations and governments, enhances cybersecurity across the entire workforce, driving a shift in how teams improve performance and manage risk. How Immersive One differs from traditional cybersecurity learning Labs are interactive hands-on learning environments that simulate real-world cyber scenarios. Labs are practical and get across fundamental concepts in complex virtual environments, rather than theoretical. New content published is up to date with the latest threat landscape and in most cases, available within 24 hours Six steps to accelerate platform adoption for your teams 1. Identify learning objectives Successful onboarding begins with clear learning objectives. Identify the specific skills and competencies your team needs to meet organizational goals and address cybersecurity challenges early on. Focus on prevalent MITRE ATT&CK techniques, mitigation tactics for recent CVEs, or skill gaps aligned with the NIST-NICE framework. Once determined, these objectives will guide you in selecting the most relevant labs and challenges for your team. 2. Tailor content to roles and skill levels Immersive allows managers to select content tailored to their team’s roles and skill levels, from entry-level analysts to specialized practitioners. You can use pre-built skill paths or create custom collections for targeted training that supports professional development. Once selected, assign the content to your teams to ensure they have a clear learning path. 3. Define platform engagement expectations Once the content has been identified and assigned, it’s time to set clear expectations to drive team engagement. Users respond well to achievable targets, such as: Minimum number of hours to spend on the labs per week/month Minimum one assignment per month per user Number of content labs completed outside the mandatory track The expectations should come from the top management down to the operational teams. 4. Promote active learning and collaboration Our labs encourage active learning and collaboration. We encourage participants to work together to solve challenges within exercises. Why not host a Capture the Flag (CTF) event, where teammates compete to solve labs quickly? Many teams respond well to leaderboard competition. Incentivizing participation with rewards, such as recognition or a day off, can also boost engagement. 5. Track progress and performance Tracking progress is key to driving platform engagement and continuous upskilling. Immersive provides analytics and reporting tools that offer insights into individual and team performance, such as assignment completion rates, time spent on labs, and accuracy of responses. These metrics help managers prepare new assignments, identify strengths, and target areas for improvement. You can then adjust the learning strategy to the results of the exercises completed. Reports in the Immersive One Activity section highlight team progress against goals, allowing managers to recognize top performers and support those facing challenges. Tracking the performance of platform users will help managers understand where the team members stand in their upskilling journey and enable them to recognize the top performers and help the ones facing some challenges. 6. Encourage continuous learning and development The learning journey continues beyond the first assignment. Encourage your team to explore additional content and use the Library function to bookmark their own lab pathways. Your CSM can provide further content recommendations, and the launchpad keeps you updated on the latest releases. The CTI labs are especially valuable, offering timely labs in new CVEs to help your team stay current with emerging threats. Conclusion Success requires setting clear expectations, assigning relevant content, and using the reporting data to drive ongoing engagement. Supplement users’ assigned pathways with CTI content and regular challenges (CTFs), and reward them for their efforts. By following these six practical steps you’ll be on track to establishing a successful continuous upskilling program with Immersive. Share your thoughts I hope these tried and tested tips will help to structure and accelerate your platform adoption, and I'd love to hear your thoughts Have you established a successful upskilling program with Immersive, or have any tips for effective platform adoption? If so, share your thoughts and experience in the comments!Where to Start? How Assess and Recommend can Unlock your Potential
What is Assess and Recommend? The Assess and Recommend feature was created with the end user in mind and helps determine the most appropriate content based on a learner’s knowledge and experience. The assessment leverages computer adaptive testing (CAT), which is a computer-based assessment that adjusts the difficulty of questions based on how a test taker answers previous questions. CAT is also known as tailored testing because it personalizes the test to the test taker's ability level. Having a more personalized assessment allows for a more personalized recommendation. Customized learning paths – NICE Framework One of the best things about the Assess and Recommend feature is that it creates personalized learning paths aligned to NIST's Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework). The NIST NICE Framework, or NIST Special Publication 800-181, provides a structured guideline for defining and categorizing cybersecurity work roles, knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). It aims to standardize the language around cybersecurity tasks and roles, enhancing workforce development, training, and alignment between job requirements and individual qualifications. Unlike traditional training programs, which tend to be the same for everyone, Immersive Labs uses assessment data to identify which roles in the NICE framework are most applicable to you. This means users focus on what they need to learn, rather than wasting time on topics they already know. As users upskill, they can retake assessments to receive new recommendations that match their evolving skill level, keeping training relevant and engaging. This dynamic approach is essential in a field where staying current is critical. By aligning with the NIST NICE Framework, the learning paths are tailored to specific roles, such as SOC analyst, pentester, or cyber professional, making the training even more effective. Benefits for organizations and users For organizations, the Assess and Recommend feature is incredibly valuable. It gives a clear picture of the team’s overall skills, strengths, and weaknesses. This information is crucial for planning targeted training, using resources wisely, and strengthening the organization’s cybersecurity defenses. Additionally, by promoting continuous learning and development, organizations can improve employee satisfaction and retention. Employees are more likely to stay with a company that invests in their growth, recognizing the importance of updated skills for job security and career advancement. Where can I Find this Feature? To find this feature, click the Upskill drop-down and navigate to Recommended Activities. Here, you’ll see a growing list of the assessments currently available in the platform. Share your Thoughts After completing your first assessment, tell us what you got as a recommendation in the comments below and share how your upskilling journey is going!
