Cybersecurity Professional Career Paper: Security Awareness and Training Specialist 

Nicholas T. Martin 

School of Cybersecurity, Old Dominion University 

CYSE 201: Cybersecurity and the Social Sciences 

Professor Diwakar Yalpi 

4/18/2026 

Introduction 

For the purpose of this article, I will be analyzing the role of security awareness and training specialist. Cybersecurity is increasingly becoming less of a strictly technical field due to prevalent industry research and security frameworks which show that the human factor is a key element to information security. Further, malicious actors have increasingly leveraged human fallibility to create vulnerabilities and breech systems. A 2021 article published by the IEEE journal, Computer, acknowledges that the cyber landscape is dynamic and everchanging, and that focusing strictly on compliance baselines is no longer enough to adequately protect data (Haney, J.M. & Lutters, W.G., 2021). Due to this, security awareness and training specialists have grown in demand and serve crucial functions in organizational security.  

 
Social Science Principles 

A 2025 article published in Computers & Electrical Engineering identifies several ways security awareness and training specialists utilize social science principles. This role is inherently about communication, leadership, and behavioral analysis. Training specialists must be able to effectively communicate organization and industry standards, highlight key risks, and foster a culture of responsible digital practices (Alshaikh, M., 2025). It is common that awareness trainers are instilling security concepts into non-technical audiences, so they must also be able to communicate ideas in a way that is comprehendible and digestible to all audiences. Further, training specialists are often tasked with designing training programs and are expected to understand how to effectively bolster safe digital practices within an organization. 

Application of Key Concepts 

The human factor has been a central concept of this course and is also a central consideration of security awareness and training specialists. The 2021 article mentioned above highlights how phishing and social engineering have become critical risks for many organizations, and that many industry experts have concluded that security training is the most effective way to mitigate these risks (Haney, J.M. & Lutters, W.G., 2021). 

Connection to Society 

A 2023 article by Haney, J.M. describes how security awareness training does not just impact professional behavior, but that the training also extends into daily life and personal digital practices (Haney, J.M., et al, 2023). We currently live in a digital age where technological reliance is growing every year, and so it is not just cybersecurity professionals who stand to benefit from regular security awareness training. By learning about digital hygience and best practices, we all can better protect our own data and prevent breeches, leading to a culture of increased cybersecurity preparedness. 

Conclusion 

I am particularly interested in this field of cybersecurity because of the growing risk of social engineering and phishing, especially now with AI as a force multiplier. Traditional “hacking” carried out with purely technical methodologies still happen, but most breeches and data thefts are accomplished with just manipulation. Further, I enjoy the softer skills required in this role, such as effective communication, understanding human behavior, and audience engagement. Security awareness training is a growing career option and illustrates how cybersecurity risks are becoming more social and human centered. 

References 

Alshaikh, M. (2025). Navigating cybersecurity training: A comprehensive review. Computers & Electrical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compeleceng.2025.108561 

Haney, J. M., Acar, Y., & Fahl, S. (2023). An investigation of roles, backgrounds, knowledge, and skills of U.S. government security awareness professionals. In Proceedings of the ACM SIGMIS Computers and People Research Conference. https://doi.org/10.1145/3573051.3593389 

Haney, J. M., & Lutters, W. G. (2021). Security awareness training for the workforce: Moving beyond “check-the-box” compliance. Computer, 54(4), 36–43. https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2020.3045407