Everything you need to know about Human Cyber-Risk Management

For years, the main focus for managing the human factor in cybersecurity has been awareness. Organizations have invested in training, phishing drills, and constant communication, hoping that greater knowledge would mitigate human error. However, the figures show that, although necessary, awareness alone is insufficient. According to Verizon's DBIR 2025 report, 74% of security breaches still involve a human factor. The problem, therefore, does not lie in the lack of awareness, but in the need for more strategic management.

Human risk should not be understood as an individual employee failure, but as a systemic business risk that senior management must manage with the same seriousness as financial or operational risks. With the entry into force of the NIS2 Directive, this responsibility transcends the strategic and becomes a legal obligation. The new regulations require organizations to adopt a proactive, risk-based approach, where cybersecurity is not only focused on technology, but also on processes and people. Ignoring this comprehensive approach not only increases exposure to cyberattacks, but can also lead to significant penalties and direct accountability for members of the management team.

The time has come to evolve. We must move away from the reactive approach of "train and hope for the best" and adopt a proactive, measurable and real risk-oriented system. In this context, Human Cyber-Risk Management is not simply a new label for cyber-awareness, but a strategic transformation: a comprehensive methodology that allows human risk to be identified, managed, and mitigated through culture, processes, and technology. This guide has been created for leaders like you, who understand that protecting the organization begins by empowering people in an intelligent, measurable way that is aligned with regulatory frameworks, such as those established by ENISA.

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What is Human Cyber-Risk Management and why does it go beyond training?

To address human risk effectively, we must first define it correctly. Human Cyber-Risk Management (or Human Risk Management) is not a training program with a more sophisticated name; it is a strategic management framework designed to continuously measure, mitigate, and monitor cybersecurity risks  that originate from human behavior. The ultimate goal of Human Cyber-Risk Management is to transform the culture of cybersecurity, moving from mere awareness (knowing that there is a risk) to ownership (feeling responsible and acting to mitigate it).

Unlike traditional tactics, which focus on theoretical knowledge, human risk management focuses on observable behavior and its context. As leading analysts such as Forrester point out, the future lies in managing this vector like any other critical business risk.

Key differences with traditional practices

The following table clarifies the fundamental differences between the strategic approach of HRM and isolated tactics:

Feature

Awareness Training

Phishing drills 

Human Risk Management

Main Objective

Reporting and Compliance

Measure a vulnerability

Reduce risk in a measurable way

Approach

Generic, punctual

Reactive, isolated

Strategic, continuous, personalized

Key Metric

Completion Rate

Click-through rate

Risk scoring , incident reduction

Expected Result

Passive knowledge

Punctual reaction

Behavior and Culture Change

Relevance in the new regulatory context

This change is not just a good practice, it is a legal imperative. Directives such as NIS2 and DORA, along with standards such as the new version of ISO 27001, require senior management to demonstrate that "appropriate technical and organisational measures" have been put in place to manage risks. A certificate of completion of a course is no longer a sufficient auditable defense. Authorities now require evidence of a  structured and effective Human Risk Management program for cybersecurity.

Navigating this regulatory complexity requires a unified roadmap. For this reason, we have developed a complete NIS2, ISO 27001 and DORA Compliance Manual (version 2025) to align their policies and controls with these new demands.

Real impact of human risk on the business

Unmanaged human risk with a Human Risk Management strategy  is not an abstract technical problem; it is a direct threat to the viability and profitability of the business. The impact of poor Human Risk Management manifests itself in tangible costs that affect the bottom line and intangible costs that erode a company's most valuable asset: its culture and its people.

Tangible costs: the direct impact

When human error becomes a cybersecurity breach, financial costs skyrocket. IBM's "Cost of a Data Breach" report  reveals that human breaches, such as phishing or stolen credentials, are among the costliest. The materialization of human risk translates directly into:

• Financial penalties: Millionaire fines under regulations such as NIS2 and GDPR that directly target the responsibility of management.
• Remediation costs: Expenses on forensic analysis, system restoration, customer notifications, and legal fees.
• Business interruption: Loss of revenue from shutdown, supply chain disruption, and inability to provide service.

Intangible costs: the silent wound

Beyond the immediate financial impact, there is structural and persistent damage:

• Culture of blame: An environment of distrust is generated where employees are afraid to report mistakes, hiding potential cybersecurity risks.
• Burnout and turnover: Security and IT teams live in a constant state of alert, and the pressure on other employees increases, causing burnout and high turnover in key roles.
• Reputational damage: The loss of trust from customers, partners and investors can take years to recover, if at all.

Representative cases

• Scenario 1 (Fintech): A financial analyst, pressured by the quarterly close, approves an invoice through a  very convincing phishing email. The result: a cybersecurity failure  that leads to a ransomware attack, paralyzing operations for 48 hours, missing DORA deadlines, and causing the loss of an institutional customer.
• Scenario 2 (Industry): A plant engineer connects an unauthorized laptop to the industrial control (OT) network for an "urgent" task. It unknowingly introduces malware  that stops a production line, causing supply chain delays and a direct breach of the security measures required by NIS2.

These costs, both visible and hidden, are significant, but largely avoidable. To quantify the benefit of proactive management, you can use our interactive calculator and estimate the potential savings when implementing a Human Risk Management strategy.

Who should lead and participate in human risk management

One of the most common mistakes in cybersecurity has been treating human risk as a problem unique to the IT department. The reality is that its effective management is impossible without distributed leadership and cross-cutting commitment. Human Cyber-Risk Management is not a function, it is an integral organizational competence of cybersecurity.

Key players: CEO, CISO, Head of People, Managers

To make it work, it requires the active involvement of several  key actors, each with a defined role:

• Senior Management (CEO and Board): They are the most responsible, especially under NIS2. Their role is to establish safety culture as a strategic priority, allocate resources, and require actionable risk reporting.
• CISO/Security Officer: This is the architect of the program. It evolves from "gatekeeper" to "strategic partner" that designs the framework, implements technology to measure risk, and translates data into business intelligence. Portals such as CSO Online offer valuable resources for this new leadership.
• HR Director (Head of People): Acts as an articulator of cultural change. You need to integrate cybersecurity into the entire employee lifecycle, from screening and onboarding to performance appraisal and departure.
• Managers and Team Leaders: They are the main point of reinforcement of policies. Their role is to reinforce safe cybersecurity behaviors on a day-to-day basis and foster an environment of trust to report bugs.

Role of the team in the face of the safety culture

Beyond leadership roles, every employee is an active safety sensor. A positive cybersecurity culture, fostered by good Human Risk Management, transforms teams from potential liabilities into the organization's most effective first line of defense. This is achieved when employees:

• They understand the "why" of policies, not just the "what."
• They feel empowered and safe to report incidents or concerns without fear of retaliation.
• They see security as an integral part of their work to protect customers and the business, not as an obstacle.

Distributed leadership: from the technical area to the heart of the organization

The concept of distributed leadership is the one that unites all of the above. It means that human risk  management leaves the technical silo to be integrated into the operational and strategic heart of the company. In this model, the CISO orchestrates, HR integrates, managers reinforce, and management supervises. Cybersecurity is no longer an IT cost but a competitive advantage that builds resilience and trust.

Establishing this cross-functional collaboration requires a structured plan. To help you get started, we've designed a 90-Day Plan to Transform Your Safety Culture, guiding you from basic awareness to a model of Ownership real and sustainable.

The 4 key phases of human risk management

Implementing a Human Cyber-Risk Management strategy  is not a one-off project, but a cycle of continuous improvement that transforms the organization's cybersecurity culture. This process can be structured into four  logical and recurring phases, designed to build a  robust, measurable, and adaptive human risk management program.

1. Assessment: Identify the real blind spots

You cannot manage human risk if you do not understand it, and this is the basis of Human Cyber-Risk Management. The first phase focuses on obtaining an accurate diagnosis of the organization's human vulnerabilities. This goes far beyond a simple phishing test. Effective analysis includes:

• Historical data analysis: Review past security incidents to identify patterns of behavior and recurring risk areas.
• Surveys and interviews: Dialogue with the teams to understand the reason for their actions. Often, unsafe behaviors are the result of inefficient processes or inadequate tools.
• Baseline measurement: Use tools and assessments to establish a quantitative baseline of human risk by roles, departments, or geographies.

The goal is not to point fingers, but  to create a prioritized human risk map to guide future actions.

2. Design: Aligning areas and regulatory frameworks

With a clear diagnosis, the next phase of Human Cyber-Risk Management is to design a tailor-made mitigation plan. Personalization is key, as there are no universal approaches. The design should:

• Create personalized interventions: If the risk in finance is invoice fraud and in engineering it is the use of  unauthorized software, the solutions must be different and specific.
• Align policies with regulations: Every control and policy should be designed with compliance with NIS2, DORA, or ISO 27001 in mind, ensuring that the program is defensible against an audit.
• Encourage co-creation: Engage HR, Legal, and business unit leaders to ensure solutions are practical and don't hinder productivity.

3. Implementation: From Policies to behaviors

This is the execution phase, where the plan becomes action. The focus should be on achieving real and sustainable behaviour change, not just communicating new rules. This involves deploying the designed interventions (specific training, simplification of processes, new tools) and communicating them effectively. Managers  are the crucial players here, as their role is to reinforce new behaviors and set an example.

A critical part of Human Risk Management in this phase is the prevention of insider threats, whether accidental or intentional. To do this, it is essential to have clear protocols. We have developed a Insider Risk Management Playbook with NIS2-aligned prevention and response policies that can serve as a guide.

4. Evolution: Analysis and continuous improvement

Human Risk Management is a living program. Threats change, the organization evolves, and the program must evolve as well. This phase closes the cycle and consists of:

• Measure impact: Analyze KPIs to see if interventions have reduced risk.
• Gather feedback: Listen to employees and managers to identify what works and what doesn't.
• Readjust strategy: Use data and feedback to refine the program.

This cycle of continuous improvement, recommended by authorities such as the UK's NCSC, ensures that the resilience of the organisation is not static, but strengthens over time.

How to measure progress: KPIs, alerts, and  human risk scoring

"What is not measured, cannot be managed." This principle is at the heart  of Human Risk Management and a  data-driven cybersecurity strategy. To justify the investment and demonstrate real improvement to management and regulators, it is imperative to abandon vanity metrics and adopt KPIs that reflect a tangible change in the  organization's cybersecurity posture.

Which metrics matter (and which don't)

The first step is to differentiate between metrics that simply record activity and those that measure a real impact on reducing human risk.

The goal of Human Risk Management is to measure cybersecurity behaviors and results, not just the effort invested. As recommended by leading analysts such as Gartner, metrics should be directly linked to the business's risk reduction objectives.

The value of the  Human Risk Score

While operational KPIs are essential for day-to-day management, senior management needs an aggregate view. This is where a  Human Risk Score becomes a strategic tool. This score is a composite indicator that consolidates multiple data points (reporting rates, incidents, tool usage, assessment results) into a single, easy-to-understand metric.

This score allows management to see at a glance the level of human risk, compare it between departments and, most importantly, monitor its evolution over time to answer the key question: "Is our investment making the company safer?".

Dashboards for  useful reporting

An effective dashboard turns data into a coherent visual narrative. An  effective Human Cyber-Risk Management dashboard  transforms KPIs into actionable intelligence for cybersecurity, showing:

• A main widget with the  global  Human Risk Score and its trend (ascending/descending).
• A heat map of risk by business unit, role, or geography.
• Graphs showing the correlation between interventions (e.g. training) and KPI improvements.
• Automatic alerts for detected high-risk behaviors.

Building these reports requires a careful selection of indicators. To make this task easier for you, we have prepared a CISO's kit with the KPIs and dashboard models essential to measure Human Risk Management, which will help you present the right information to the right people.

From reaction to proactive leadership

The evolution from simple awareness to strategic management of human risk marks a turning point. The bottom line is clear: in today's cybersecurity environment, continuing to invest in generic training in the hope that people will "do the right thing" is a strategy doomed to failure. The shift to a Human Risk Management model  is not an option, but a business imperative driven by a sophisticated threat landscape and regulation, such as the NIS2 Directive, that holds senior management directly accountable.

The time to act is now. Waiting for a serious incident to occur is no longer a defensible position. Proactive human risk management is the greatest opportunity to strengthen  your organization's cybersecurity from within, transforming every employee into a defense asset.

Checklist: the first steps (even without a CISO)

Making the leap into Human Cyber-Risk Management doesn't have to be daunting. Here's a list of immediate actions that can be taken:

• Convene the right team: Organize a meeting between Management, HR and the head of security. If there is no CISO, the CEO or COO must lead this conversation to align the vision.
• Make a quick diagnosis: Review the security incidents of the last year. Where was the human factor involved? This will give you a baseline based on real data.
• Set a 90-day goal: Don't try to change everything all at once. Choose a specific goal, such as increasing the phishing reporting rate  by 20%.
• Consult compliance guides: Familiarize yourself with obligations. Official portals such as Your Europe Business are a good place to start.

This process of maturity with Human Risk Management transforms cybersecurity: it is no longer a cost center to become a generator of trust and resilience in human risk management.

To accelerate your progress, we invite you to download our 90-Day Plan to Start Your Cultural Change and consult our .manual for navigating NIS2, DORA, and ISO 27001 compliance