Which of the following is an objective of security awareness training?

The objective of security awareness training is fundamentally to educate employees about the various risks they may encounter, which includes understanding common threats such as hoaxes, phishing attempts, and other forms of social engineering. This education helps employees recognize and respond appropriately to potential security threats, thereby improving the overall security posture of the organization.

By focusing on risks, training equips individuals with the knowledge needed to identify suspicious activities and enables them to take preventive actions. In this way, employees become the first line of defense in an organization’s security strategy, as they are more likely to report or avoid risky situations if they are well-informed.

The other options, while they may have relevance within various organizational contexts, do not encapsulate the primary aim of security awareness training. Teaching technical skills is not usually the focus, as most employees are not expected to handle complex technical issues. Similarly, assessing employee performance is typically part of other evaluation processes, and although reducing operational costs may be a beneficial outcome of improved security awareness, it is not the primary objective of the training itself.