Training options
Employee online training
Online training for employees (including student employees) has moved to Workday. Employees who need to take the training will be notified via email from Workday 30 days before their training is due.
The cybersecurity training in Workday has known accessibility barriers. Please go to the Accessibility & usability information section below for more information.
Student online training
This online training is for students only (not student employees). This training will NOT show up in your transcript. This is a highly visual and interactive version of the Cybersecurity Awareness Training. It is accessible for people who are blind, have low vision, or use screen readers. It is only available in English.
Returning (and SOAR) students register using the link below.
Paper-based training
If you do not use a computer for your work with UW–Madison or need language support, you may be eligible to take the paper-based version of the Cybersecurity Awareness Training. This version is available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Tibetan, Chinese, and Nepali. Please reach out to your HR representative or supervisor to see if you qualify.
If you are an HR representative, please contact the Office of Cybersecurity – Awareness Team for guidance on how the paper-based training process works.
Accessibility & usability information
The training course in Workday (for employees only, including student employees) has known accessibility barriers impacting screen reader applications.
If you use a screen reader due to disability, or encounter any other disability-related barrier in the training, please contact your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) for an accessible version. They will ensure your completion of the training is reported correctly. If you have any other concerns about completing this training, please reach out to your HR representative or supervisor.
Cybersecurity Awareness Training has been evaluated for accessibility and usability. For a summary of the accessibility features in the Workday cybersecurity training and the barriers in all online versions, go to the Accessibility and Usability KB (101063).
For accessibility assistance with this training or to report an accessibility barrier, contact the Office of Cybersecurity – Awareness Team.
FAQs
Do you have a question about Cybersecurity Awareness Training? No worries. You can find the answers to your questions below. If you have additional questions, please reach out to the Help Desk. To access a more accessible version of the FAQs, go to Cybersecurity Awareness Training – FAQs (KB-110425).
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Why do we have to do Cybersecurity Awareness Training annually?
Learning how to be more cyber secure is an important part of keeping data, privacy, and IT systems protected and secure. In this training, you will learn valuable cybersecurity practices that will help you to protect UW–Madison’s data and systems, as well as your own personal data at work and at home.
This annual training is mandatory per UWSA Policy 1032 for all employees. This includes undergraduate and graduate student employees, as well as retirees and those in unpaid positions who access UW–Madison information technology resources.
This training must be completed annually, every 365 days (or earlier if required by your area) and is a part of your required employment obligations.
How long will it take me to complete the training?
It should take you 30 minutes or less to complete.
What date is my Cybersecurity Awareness Training due for this year?
Employees (including student employees) are required to complete the training annually, every 365 days (or earlier if required by your area).
Cybersecurity Awareness Training for employees (including student employees) has moved to Workday. Employees who need to take the training will be notified via email from Workday 30 days before your training is due.
Students (not student employees), are highly encouraged to take this training. Cybersecurity Training for students is not tracked and completions will only appear in Canvas.
Why can't I find the training in Workday?
Training in Workday is only for employees (including student employees).
Like the other compliance courses in Workday, Cybersecurity Awareness Training will be hidden and not found through search. Instead, you will receive an email notification from Workday 30 days before your training is due (with reminder emails sent until you complete the training).
How do I return to the training after I've already started it?
Employees (including student employees): Your training is in Workday. You will receive email and Workday (bell) notifications to complete your training. The notification will include a link to your training enabling you to pick up where you left off in the training. You can also access the training in Workday on the Learning page under “Required for You” by clicking the course link on “My Transcript.”
Students (not employed by UW–Madison): You can return to the training by going to the Cybersecurity Awareness Training Canvas course. Students can also go to their Canvas dashboard and select the course “Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025.”
What do I need to do to pass the Cybersecurity Awareness Training?
- Complete the “Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025” modules
- Take the “Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025 Quiz” with a minimum score of 80%.
- Correctly answer 8 of the 10 questions
- Take the quiz as many times as you need to pass
- Once you complete the “Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025” module and the “Cybersecurity Awareness Training Quiz,” you have successfully completed the training.
- No further action is needed. You will not receive a certificate of completion or confirmation email.
How can employees verify that they’ve completed the Cybersecurity Awareness Training?
Completions of all versions of the employee Cybersecurity Awareness Training can be verified in Workday. Follow these steps:
- In Workday, go to “Learning” and select “My Transcript” from the left menu.
- If your completion has been recorded, you will see “UWMSN Cybersecurity Awareness Training” listed in the “Learning History” section with a completion date.
How can students (not employees) verify that they’ve completed the Cybersecurity Awareness Training?
Student training is not tracked and will not show up in your learning transcript. As a student, you can verify your completion by checking the Canvas Gradebook. Your grade will show as 100% if you fully completed the training.
Are new employees required to take Cybersecurity Awareness Training within 30 days of hire?
No. The rule requiring new employees to complete Cybersecurity Awareness Training within 30 days of hire has been removed (unless required by your area). All new employees, upon hire, will need to read and abide by the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources policy.
New employees (along with all employees) are required to complete Cybersecurity Awareness Training annually (unless your area has set a specific date for completion).
Our department includes employees who do not use computers for their UW–Madison job. Are these employees required to take the training?
Yes, employees who do not use a computer in their campus job should reach out to their HR representative or supervisor and ask about taking the paper-based version. This version is available in six languages: English, Spanish, Hmong, Tibetan, Chinese, and Nepali.
What happened to the translated versions of the Cybersecurity Awareness Training?
We are no longer translating the full version of the Cybersecurity Awareness Training as those options were underutilized.
A paper-based version of the training has been translated into six languages, including English, Spanish, Hmong, Tibetan, Chinese, and Nepali.
This version is for employees who do not use computers in their UW–Madison jobs. Employees who are in this category should reach out to their HR representative or supervisor for assistance.
I am a retiree. Do I have to take the Cybersecurity Awareness Training?
If you access UW–Madison information technology resources using your NetID, you are required to take this training annually, every 365 days (or earlier if required by your area).
Employees who need to take the training will be notified via Workday 30 days prior to when the training is due.
I have an unpaid position (or do not receive payment for my work.) Do I have to take the Cybersecurity Awareness Training?
If you access UW–Madison information technology resources using your NetID, you are required to take this training annually, every 365 days (or earlier if required by your area).
Employees who need to take the training will be notified via Workday 30 days prior to when the training is due.
I am a student (not student employee). Do I need to complete this training?
Students not employed by the university are encouraged to complete the training to become more cyber secure, but they are not required to take it.
Register for the training (on the page you’re on now) using your NetID (and if prompted, select UW–Madison as your organization). You will not be able to access the training using a Guest NetID.
Why isn’t the Cybersecurity Awareness Training appearing in my Canvas dashboard?
Training for employees has moved to Workday. Employees who need to take the training will be notified via Workday 30 days prior to when the training is due.
Students (not student employees) enroll in the training on this page (see above). If you’ve registered and it’s still not showing up, contact the Help Desk.
I completed a different cybersecurity awareness training in 2025. Do I have to complete this training too?
If you’ve taken a different Cybersecurity Awareness Training in 2025, please fill out this form: Cybersecurity Awareness Training Completed Outside of UW–Madison. We will review the information and contact you if your cybersecurity training does not meet requirements.