How to Run a Security Awareness Campaign

Security awareness campaigns are not just an IT issue. Every employee is a target, and every employee is also a defender. A good security awareness campaign changes behaviour: people pause before clicking, report suspicious emails, and treat information as an asset worth protecting.

What a security awareness campaign should cover

Security awareness covers both cyber and physical security. The most effective campaigns repeat a small set of messages in different formats until they become part of the culture.

• Phishing and social engineering
• Passwords and authentication
• Physical security and access control
• Data handling and classification
• Incident reporting and response

20 security awareness topics for your campaign

Rotate these topics across posters, toolbox talks, digital displays, and emails. Use real examples from your organisation whenever possible.

Campaign structure that works

A four-week campaign is usually enough to embed one behaviour without overwhelming people. A typical structure is:

1. Week 1 — Launch: Announce the theme, why it matters, and what success looks like.
2. Week 2 — Educate: Share posters, emails, and short videos on the key risks.
3. Week 3 — Engage: Run a quiz, simulation, or report-it challenge.
4. Week 4 — Reinforce: Share results, thank participants, and publish the next steps.

Measure what matters

Track phishing simulation click rates, incident-reporting volume, and policy acknowledgments. The goal is not to catch people out; it is to show that awareness is improving over time.

Build a security awareness campaign in minutes

Safety Campaign Hub has a dedicated Security Campaign Builder. Enter a topic, audience, and duration, and it generates a complete campaign with posters, briefs, digital displays, and a rollout plan.