This article explains how to create, configure, and manage an Automated awareness program in SMARTFENSE, a feature that allows distributing training campaigns in a planned manner aligned with the organization's objectives.
Overview
The Automated awareness program feature allows managing awareness programs made up of predefined campaigns, distributed over a period of between 1 and 3 years, and directed at a specific user universe.
Programs consist of a set of campaigns assigned to users based on groups, functional areas, hierarchical levels, and/or specific users.
Once the program is created, all associated campaigns can be viewed both in the calendar and in the campaign list, where they can be edited individually.
The content provided to each user, along with the start and expiration date of each item, is the same for all. You can select from a wide variety of fixed programs in the Type of program field. This format is useful, for example, for complying with regulations such as GDPR or ISO/IEC 27002.
How to access
- Sign in to SMARTFENSE with an administrator account.
- Go to Campaigns > Programs > Program management.
- Click New program to start the configuration.
Configuring a new program
Program creation is organized into five sections. Complete each one in order.
1. General program data
- Name: define an identifying name that makes it easy to manage the different programs.
- Description: add a description of the program you are creating.
2. Program configuration
- Select the Type of program you want to implement.
- In the What components would you like to use in this program? field, check the components you want to include. The available options, depending on the active subscription, are:
- Interactive Modules
- Videos
- Video Games
- Newsletters
- Exams
- Surveys
- Phishing Simulations
- Ransomware Simulations
- To exclude a component, uncheck it from the list. For example, if you want the program to contain only Interactive Modules and Newsletters, uncheck the rest.
Use the Preview program button to view each available option in detail before continuing. The Preview of the configured program modal shows the complete syllabus with the columns Week, Component, Topic/Scenario, Start date, and End Date.
From this modal you can download the syllabus using the Export button, available in two formats: Excel and CSV. This allows sharing the training plan with other stakeholders or keeping it as a record outside the platform.
3. Recipients
In this section, different types of groupings can be selected as campaign recipients: Groups, Functional areas, Hierarchical levels, Smart groups, and Individual users.
You can combine the selected groupings in two ways:
- Assign to users who belong to at least one grouping of each type.
- Assign to users who belong to any of the selected groupings.
Users must belong to at least one grouping of each type. Users who meet each of the following criteria will be assigned to the campaign:
- Belong to at least one of the selected Groups.
- Also belong to at least one of the selected Functional areas.
- Additionally, belong to at least one of the selected Hierarchical levels.
- And finally, belong to at least one of the selected Smart groups.
Users must belong to any of the selected groupings. Users who meet any of the following criteria will be assigned to the campaign:
- Belong to at least one of the selected Groups.
- Or belong to at least one of the selected Functional areas.
- Or belong to at least one of the selected Hierarchical levels.
- Or belong to at least one of the selected Smart groups.
Users assigned individually are independent of the grouping configuration defined.
4. Planning
- Define which week of the year the awareness program will begin.
5. Extra settings for exam campaigns
If the program includes exam campaigns, configure:
- Pass percentage: define the minimum percentage of correct answers required to pass the program's exams.
- Available minutes: define the number of minutes users will have to complete the exams.
Saving and generating the program
- Once all sections are complete, click Save.
- The platform will generate the scheduling for the selected program.
The program generation process can take up to 15 minutes, depending on the number of components selected.
Managing programs and created campaigns
Once a program is created, campaigns can be managed from different calendar views.
Calendar
In Campaigns > Calendar, campaigns belonging to a program are shown identified with the two gears symbol. Before each campaign starts, it is possible to:
- Modify assigned users
- Adjust the duration
- Change the topic
- Delete specific campaigns
Campaign List
In Campaigns > Campaign List you can view all scheduled campaigns and edit or delete them.
Program management
In Campaigns > Programs > Program management, the list of all programs is displayed, where they can be edited or deleted as needed. The table includes the following columns:
- Name: identifying name of the program.
- Description: description of the program.
- Format: program type (Fixed program or Smart Path).
- Users: number of users assigned to the program.
- Start date: date when the program started or is scheduled to start.
- Status: current program status (Not started, In progress, Completed, Suspended).
- Actions: available options to edit or delete the program.
To view global indicators for all active programs — such as users reached, organization coverage, assignments, and activity over the last 6 months — go to the Dashboard of automatic programs at Campaigns > Programs > Dashboard. See the article Dashboard of automatic programs for more information.
💡 Best practices
- Clearly define the user universe before creating the program to avoid subsequent reassignments.
- Use Preview program to validate the components and content before saving, and download the syllabus in Excel or CSV to share with other stakeholders or keep as a record.
- Adjust the planning taking into account the organization's high operational load periods to improve the completion rate.
- Periodically review campaigns from Campaigns > Calendar to keep the program aligned with awareness objectives.
- Combine this automatic program with specific campaigns outside the program to reinforce critical topics or respond to recent incidents.