What is security awareness? Definition & building blocks

Security awareness: a definition

Security awareness (German: Sicherheitsbewusstsein) refers to the awareness and ability of employees to recognize and classify risks to information security and to act securely. The focus is on people as an active part of the defense: Technical protective measures such as firewalls or spam filters fall short when a person opens a fake email or discloses login credentials. The BSI describes awareness raising as an elementary security measure – first, an awareness of the problem develops, followed by a change in behavior toward secure digital conduct.

The positive framing is important: The BSI expressly does not regard employees as a "security gap" but as a "human security factor" – i.e., as part of the solution. The term "human firewall", which is widespread in the industry, means the same thing but is market language and not an official technical term.

The building blocks of security awareness

Effective security awareness is not a single format but the interplay of several building blocks:

The BSI calls the interplay of technology, training, and security culture the key to robust information security. No building block works on its own: Without culture, knowledge has no effect; without knowledge, the foundation is missing. Standards and regulations also take up this point: ISO/IEC 27001:2022 requires awareness and training (clause 7.3 and Annex A 6.3), and under NIS-2, "basic training and awareness-raising measures" are among the minimum measures (Section 30 (2) of the BSI Act (BSIG)). Awareness is therefore both a professional standard and a regulatory framework.

Why a one-off session is not enough

Knowledge imparted once fades over time. That is why effective approaches rely on recurring, short learning units instead of an annual mandatory event – this keeps the topic present and changes behavior permanently. Only this continuity turns individual training courses into a robust security culture in which secure behavior becomes a habit and does not fizzle out again after each training course.

How a structured program with measurable metrics can be built from this is shown in the article on building a security awareness program. By far the most important single topic is the ability to recognize phishing – which, according to ENISA, is the most common entry point for attacks. Our topic category brings together further fundamentals and guides on data protection & information security.

What is the difference between security awareness and security awareness training?

Security awareness is the state – the security consciousness of the workforce, i.e., the ability to recognize risks and act securely. Security awareness training is the measure used to build up and permanently maintain this state: the specific training courses, campaigns, and simulations. In short, one describes the goal, the other the path to it.

Is security awareness required by law?

There is no dedicated "awareness law", but several sets of rules require awareness raising: ISO/IEC 27001 requires awareness and training, and within the scope of NIS-2, training and awareness-raising measures are expressly among the minimum measures (Section 30 BSIG). However, the legislator does not set fixed requirements regarding frequency or scope – how awareness raising is specifically implemented is left to the organization.

• BSI – Awareness / Human factor: bsi.bund.de (page last updated 26 Jan 2021; accessed 12 Jun 2026).
• BSI – Basic training and awareness-raising measures (NIS-2): bsi.bund.de (as of 8 Jun 2026).
• ENISA – Awareness and Cyber Hygiene: enisa.europa.eu (accessed 12 Jun 2026).
• ISO/IEC 27001:2022, clause 7.3 and Annex A 6.3 (awareness/training); standard mapping confirmed via the BSI NIS-2 training page. Standard text subject to a fee: iso.org.
• Section 30 BSIG (new version under NIS2UmsuCG): gesetze-im-internet.de.