Canadian Manufacturer Boosts Cyber Resilience Through Comprehensive Awareness and Communications Training Program

The Challenge

Summit Precision Manufacturing, a national producer of industrial control assemblies, faced a growing internal risk due to low cybersecurity and privacy awareness among production and administrative staff. Despite investing heavily in technical safeguards and governance programs, employee behaviour remained the weakest link. Repeated phishing attempts, poor password practices, and inadvertent data-sharing incidents were eroding the company’s compliance standing under PIPEDA and delaying certification renewals.

A routine internal audit revealed that 40% of staff were unaware of the company’s data handling protocols, while departmental silos caused inconsistent communication during cyber incidents. Without a structured awareness and communication framework, essential messages about security responsibilities were lost between management, IT, and operations. Regulators and insurance partners warned that a lack of demonstrated awareness training could be deemed non-compliance, threatening renewal of critical supplier contracts.

The leadership recognized that sustainable cyber resilience required more than technology — it demanded a cultural shift supported by structured training, clear communication, and continuous engagement across the organization.

Our Solution

Our Awareness and Communications Training team was engaged to develop and implement a company-wide Cyber Awareness and Communications Enablement Program tailored to Summit’s operational environment and workforce structure.

The initiative began with a culture and capability assessment to identify behavioural risks, communication gaps, and department-specific training needs. Using those insights, we deployed a multi-phase program integrating targeted training, leadership engagement, and real-time communication strategies.

Key actions included: the development of a tiered Cyber Awareness Curriculum addressing phishing defence, data handling, privacy obligations, and incident response communication; the launch of an internal “Cyber Smart Manufacturing” campaign with visual reminders, interactive sessions, and gamified learning modules; implementation of an executive and supervisor communication playbook to ensure consistent, transparent messaging during incidents or regulatory audits; creation of an internal awareness dashboard tracking participation, assessment results, and behavioural improvements across departments; and quarterly awareness simulations and phishing tests, with department scorecards shared to foster accountability and motivation.

All training content and communication procedures were aligned with PIPEDA, ISO/IEC 27001, and NIST Cybersecurity Framework standards, ensuring that both staff and leadership understood their compliance and security responsibilities.

The Value

Within six months, Summit Precision Manufacturing achieved measurable improvements in employee behaviour, compliance readiness, and operational coordination: an 85% completion rate in mandatory cybersecurity awareness training within the first quarter; a 70% reduction in successful phishing incidents due to improved employee vigilance; full compliance validation during external audits, supporting renewal of cyber insurance coverage; improved interdepartmental communication during simulated incidents, reducing response time by 50%; and an enhanced organizational culture of accountability and shared responsibility for data protection.

By embedding awareness and communication into its operational DNA, Summit transformed cybersecurity from an IT function into a collective business value driver, strengthening both internal confidence and external trust.

Implementation Roadmap

1. Assessment (Weeks 1–3): Conduct workforce awareness survey, communication audit, and risk behaviour mapping.
2. Program Design (Weeks 4–6): Develop tailored awareness curriculum, executive playbook, and internal communications plan.
3. Deployment (Weeks 7–12): Launch awareness campaign, conduct live and e-learning sessions, and establish awareness dashboard.
4. Reinforcement (Weeks 13–16): Run phishing simulations, feedback sessions, and department performance reviews.
5. Continuous Improvement (Ongoing): Maintain quarterly training refreshers, update communication materials, and publish awareness metrics.

Info Sheet

Necessary Action Type and Steps to Be Taken:

• Conduct baseline awareness and culture assessment.
  – Develop and launch a Cyber Awareness Curriculum aligned with PIPEDA and ISO/IEC 27001.
  – Establish executive and departmental communication playbooks for incident and compliance messaging.
  – Implement ongoing phishing simulations and behavioural tracking.
  – Maintain awareness dashboards and quarterly reporting for leadership and audit readiness.
  – Integrate training completion into annual performance and compliance evaluations.

Industry Sector:
Manufacturing — Industrial Assemblies and Automation

Applicable Legislation:
– PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act)
– ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security Management)
– NIST Cybersecurity Framework (Awareness and Training)
– Canadian Cyber Security Standards

Third Parties:
– Training content developer and e-learning provider
– Managed awareness platform vendor
– Insurance and audit partners validating compliance readiness
– Legal counsel advising on privacy and incident communication
– Supply chain partners requiring training attestations