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 (including undergraduate and graduate student 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.

Training Options

There is only one training option available for employees who use computers for their work with UW–Madison. This online training 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. Register for the training.

If you do not use a computer for your work with UW–‍Madison, you may be eligible to take the paper-based version (available in our 6 campus languages) of the Cybersecurity Awareness Training. Please reach out to your HR representative or supervisor to see if you qualify. 

If you are an HR representative, please contact the Cybersecurity Awareness Team for guidance on how the paper-based training process works.

Accessibility & usability information

Cybersecurity Awareness Training has been evaluated for accessibility and usability. For details, go to Cybersecurity Awareness Training – Accessibility & Usability Information (KB 101063). For accessibility assistance with the Cybersecurity training or to report an accessibility barrier, contact cybersecurityawareness@cio.wisc.edu.

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?

You are required to complete the training annually, every 365 days (or earlier if required by your area). Go to your OHR Registrations and Learning Transcript to find the date of your last Cybersecurity Awareness Training by following these steps:

1. Go to the Office of Human Resources webpage, My Registrations and Learning Transcript.

   1. You may need to sign in with your NetID and password.

   2. If asked, choose NetID as the authentication type and UW–Madison as your organization. Then sign in with your NetID and password.

2. You are now on the "REGISTRATIONS" tab.

   1. If "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025" is listed here AND you completed training less than 48 hours ago:

      1. Select the name of the training to immediately pull your completion into the "TRANSCRIPT" tab.

   2. If "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025" is listed here AND you completed training more than 48 hours ago:

      1. Check that you scored an 80% or higher on the "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025 Quiz" in Canvas.

      2. Select the name of the training to try to pull your completion into the "TRANSCRIPT" tab. 

      3. If your completion won't move to the "TRANSCRIPT" tab, contact the Help Desk.

3. Select the "TRANSCRIPT" tab.

   1. Find "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025" under the "EVENT" column.

   2. Then find the "ATTENDED" column to verify that it says "Complete."

      1. Please note: Use this column to verify completion. Ignore the “GRADE” column. The grade listed is a completion score and not your quiz score.

   3. If it doesn't say "Complete," check that you scored an 80% or higher on the "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025 Quiz" in Canvas.

You may want to add a reminder to your calendar to complete the Cybersecurity Awareness Training for the following year.

How do I return to the training after I've already started it?

You can return to the training by going to the Cybersecurity Awareness Training Canvas Course. You can also go to your Canvas dashboard and select the course “Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025.” 

What do I need to do to pass the Cybersecurity Awareness Training?

1. Complete the "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025" modules

2. Take the "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025 Quiz" with a minimum score of 80%.

   1. Correctly answer 8 of the 10 questions

   2. Take the quiz as many times as you need to pass

3. Once you complete the "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025" module and the "Cybersecurity Awareness Training Quiz," you have successfully completed the training.

4. No further action is needed. You will NOT receive a certificate of completion or confirmation email. You can verify your completion by checking your OHR Registrations and Learning Transcript. Visit Verifying Training Completion for directions.

How can I verify that I've passed the Cybersecurity Awareness Training?

To verify your completion of the Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025, follow these steps:

1. 1. Go to the Office of Human Resources webpage, My Registrations and Learning Transcript.

      1. You may need to sign in with your NetID and password.

      2. If asked, choose NetID as the authentication type and UW–Madison as your organization. Then sign in with your NetID and password.

   2. You are now on the "REGISTRATIONS" tab.

      1. If "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025" is listed here AND you completed training less than 48 hours ago:

         1. Select the name of the training to immediately pull your completion into the "TRANSCRIPT" tab.

      2. If "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025" is listed here AND you completed training more than 48 hours ago:

         1. Check that you scored an 80% or higher on the "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025 Quiz" in Canvas.

         2. Select the name of the training to try to pull your completion into the "TRANSCRIPT" tab. 

         3. If your completion won't move to the "TRANSCRIPT" tab, contact the Help Desk.

   3. Select the "TRANSCRIPT" tab.

      1. Find "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025" under the "EVENT" column.

      2. Then find the "ATTENDED" column to verify that it says "Complete."

         1. Please note: Use this column to verify completion. Ignore the “GRADE” column. The grade listed is a completion score and not your quiz score.

      3. If it doesn't say "Complete," check that you scored an 80% or higher on the "Cybersecurity Awareness Training 2025 Quiz" in Canvas.

Is the training ADA compliant?

The 2025 training was created in Articulate Rise 360. Articulate has taken steps to provide Accessibility to meet the needs of various learners. You can read the Accessibility Features supplied within this training and instructions on use. 

1. Keyboard Navigation

   1. Alternate navigation in Rise 360 using keyboard navigation can assist learners who may find the use of a mouse or other device a barrier in their learning experience. Use the following document keyboard-accessible shortcuts to assist in navigation through keyboard shortcuts.

2. Format

   1. Content contained within both Canvas and Articulate Rise 360 take advantage of Heading options to format text to aid in the use of screen readers. Formatting can also assist neurodivergent learners see clear breaks in information as to not overwhelm available learning pathways. 

   2. Alternative Text (alt-text) is provided for images associated with the learning material for those preferring text-based information and those employing the use of screen readers. The limitations for alt-text within Articulate Rise 360 resides within "Scenarios." Images of photographic characters are not accompanied with alt-text, but are not used in a way for a learner to be reliant upon the imagery to participate in the scenario or any questions asked post scenario. 

   3. High Contrast has been deployed to enhance visual appearance.

   4. No interactive activities which are not compatible with keyboard navigation, screen readers, or alternative devices have been utilized within this module.

   5. For more information on each block style within Rise, follow the link choosing accessible content components.

3. Screen Readers

   1. Learners often use screen readers to experience e-learning courses, so it’s important to note that Rise 360 supports JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack screen readers with our supported browsers.

4. Encountering Issues of Accessibility

   1. If you have comments/questions/feedback, please contact cybersecurityawareness@cio.wisc.edu.

Are new employees required to take Cybersecurity Awareness Training within 30 days of hire?

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 is a shortened version of the required training that does not include a quiz. This version is available in six languages, including 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 our 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).

Register for the training (on the page you're on now) using your NetID (and if prompted, select UW–Madison

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).

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.

Register for the training (on the page you're on now) using your NetID. You will NOT be able to access the training using a Guest NetID. 

I am a student. Do I need to complete this training?

If you are employed by the university, you are required to complete the training annually, every 365 days (or earlier if required by your area).

Students not employed by the university are encouraged to complete the training to become more cyber secure, but 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.

I am an employee with a Guest NetID and can't register for the required Cybersecurity Awareness Training, what should I do?

Employees MUST register for the training using their campus NetID. You will NOT be able to access the training using a Guest NetID. 

I work at UW-Extension and can't register for the training. Why?

If you work at Extension and get an error message stating, “Authentication Failure,” you must select UW–‍Madison as your campus (instead of UW-Extension) when registering for the training. This is due to the fact that our campuses use different versions of Canvas.

Why isn’t the Cybersecurity Awareness Training appearing in my Canvas dashboard?

You must register for 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.

If I find an issue with the training, how do I report it?

Contact the Help Desk.