Cyber Security Awareness Month wrapped up on the 31st of October. Is your team still putting security first? If you can’t answer that confidently you’re not alone. For most businesses the end of Cyber Security Awareness Month means posters come down, reminder emails stop landing in inboxes, and by November most teams are back to clicking first and checking later.
That’s not a criticism. It’s just what happens when cyber security awareness is treated as a campaign, rather than built into how your business actually runs. So if you want to make your business safer for more than a month, we’re here to help. In this blog we’re looking at why a month spent prioritising security doesn’t work, the cost of ignoring it, and what the shift to an “awareness year” looks like – with practical tips you can put to work now.
Let’s get started.
Why One Cyber Security Awareness Session Isn't Enough
Cyber security awareness needs to be treated as a rhythm. When its’s a one-off event, most people forget what they’re told within a few weeks. And it makes sense, especially when it’s not something you’re using day-to-day. The important takeaway is this: it’s not that the session was wasted, it’s that habits (like spotting a dodgy email) are built over time. Building a strong culture of cyber security helps these lessons stick.
What It's Actually Costing Businesses in Regional Victoria
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) reports the average cost of a cyber security incident for small businesses has risen 14% to $56,600. In the past financial year, the ASD received 84,700 cyber crime reports (that’s a report every six minutes), and responded to over 1,200 cyber security incidents, an 11% increase on the year before.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner's Notifiable Data Breach figures also saw the number of breaches caused by human error rise to 37%.. And when a business suffers a data breach, the cost doesn’t stop at recovery, lost productivity or potential regulatory fines. It affects your reputation and trusted relationships, and that impact hits country-based businesses much harder.
What does "Awareness Year" Actually Look Like?
Awareness year doesn’t mean running a full workshop every month. It means finding small, regular moments that keep cyber security awareness top of mind without taking over your team’s workday. Building this habit can look like:
- Short, focused refreshers every quarter. 10-15 minutes is plenty, covering one topic at a time. For example, this quarter might be invoice scams, next quarter could be password habits.
- A simulated phishing test once or twice a year, used as a coaching tool rather than a gotcha exercise.
- A cyber security module built into onboarding, so new starters aren't the weak link from day one.
- A genuine "see something, say something" culture, where reporting a suspicious email is treated as a win, not an inconvenience.
- Leaders visibly taking part, not just signing off on it, because staff take their cues from what management actually does
None of this requires a big budget. It requires a plan that outlasts October, and someone to keeping it ticking over.
A Simple Cadence You Can Start Now
Not sure where to begin? We’ve put together a practical starting rhythm.
- Now: Refresh the fundamentals (passwords, MFA, spotting phishing email scams).
- January: Run a post-holiday refresher. Scam activity tends to spike when routines are disrupted, and inboxes are full after the break.
- Around tax time: Run a focused session on invoice fraud and business email compromise, both of which spike when finance teams are under pressure to move quickly.
- Ad hoc: A two-minute debrief any time a real scam email lands in someone's inbox, using it as a live example while it's fresh.
Four touchpoints a year is a realistic starting point for most SMBs. It's enough to keep security front of mind without training fatigue setting in.
“October gets people talking about cyber security, but the businesses that actually stay protected are the ones still talking about it in March. Training that happens once a year is really just a reminder that the risk exists. Training that happens regularly is what actually changes behaviour.”
– Luke Fong, CEO of Lateral Plains
How Can Lateral Plains Help?
We know security awareness training is central to cyber resilience. That’s why it’s built into our managed IT and cyber security plans, instead of being an add-on you need to ask for.
We partner with businesses across Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Horsham, and Warrnambool to deliver security awareness training. This includes engaging videos, interactive lessons and simulated phishing email campaigns so your team can understand risks, best practices and help protect your SMB.
With an SMB1001 Gold certification, you know you’re working with a team that prioritises and upholds cyber security best practices across people, processes and technology every day. And because it’s independently verified, you get peace of mind it’s a proven approach, not just something we talk about.
Ready to get started? We support your business with a cyber security focus, so you can build resilience. Get in touch to learn more about our security awareness training for regional Victoria.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does cyber security training need to continue year round?
Hackers don't work to a calendar, and most people forget the bulk of a single training session within weeks. Ongoing, smaller touchpoints keep good cyber security awareness habits active rather than relying on staff to remember one session from months ago.
- How often should staff get cyber security awareness training?
A quarterly cadence of short refreshers, paired with one or two simulated phishing exercises a year, is a realistic and effective starting point for most small and medium businesses.
- What's the most effective way to make cyber security awareness training stick?
Keep sessions short and specific rather than long and general, tie them to real, recent examples where possible, and make reporting a suspicious email something staff are praised for, not embarrassed by.
- Do small businesses really need formal security awareness training?
Yes. Small businesses are frequently targeted precisely because attackers assume defences and staff awareness are weaker than at larger organisations. When the average cost of a cyber attack for small businesses is now over $56,000, prevention is much more cost-effective.
- How does Lateral Plains help build an ongoing security culture?
We build regular training and awareness activities into our managed IT and cyber security service. As a result, a strong cyber security culture becomes a part of how your business operates, rather than a once-a-year event.