NIST PR.AT-1: General Security Awareness Training
PR.AT-1 requires your organization to inform and train all users on security fundamentals. This foundational control reduces human-error incidents and strengthens your security posture across the entire workforce. Compliance teams often struggle to document training scope, completion rates, and content updates—making this control a key audit focal point.
What this means
General Security Awareness Training (PR.AT-1) mandates that every user in your organization receives formal security training. This includes awareness of threats, proper handling of sensitive data, incident reporting procedures, and security policies. Training must be delivered, documented, and periodically refreshed to ensure knowledge remains current as threats evolve.
How to comply
- 1.Establish a mandatory security awareness training program applicable to all employees, contractors, and third parties with system access.
- 2.Define training curriculum covering phishing, password hygiene, data classification, incident reporting, and organizational security policies.
- 3.Deliver initial training to all new users before granting system access.
- 4.Schedule recurring training annually at minimum, with supplemental training following security incidents or policy changes.
- 5.Document training attendance, completion dates, and assessment scores for audit evidence.
- 6.Maintain training records for at least 1–3 years depending on regulatory requirements.
- 7.Test user comprehension through quizzes or phishing simulations to validate awareness.
- 8.Update training content quarterly to reflect emerging threats and organizational changes.
Evidence auditors look for
- Training completion certificates or records from learning management systems (LMS).
- Training attendance logs with dates and participant names.
- Training curriculum documentation showing topics covered and updates made.
- Assessment or quiz scores demonstrating user comprehension.
- Phishing simulation reports showing user response rates and awareness trends.
- Security policy acknowledgment forms signed by all personnel.
- Training scheduling communications and calendar invitations.
- Incident reports referencing user training effectiveness or gaps.
- Third-party training agreements with vendors and contractors.
Frequently asked questions
When will FAQs be available?
The FAQ for this control is currently being prepared.
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