Your new accountant starts Monday. By Tuesday, they'll have access to client bank details, tax file numbers, and financial records. By Wednesday, they'll receive their first phishing email pretending to be from the ATO, a supplier, or even you.
That's not pessimism. It's reality. Accounting firms handle exactly the kind of data cybercriminals want most, and new staff are easier targets because they don't yet know your firm's normal communication patterns. They can't spot when something's off.
The good news? Teaching new hires how to train staff on phishing emails can take less time than you might think. This checklist breaks it down into practical steps you can complete during their first week.
Why Phishing Training Belongs in Accounting Onboarding
New employees often click on phishing emails at higher rates than established staff. However, research from the University of Chicago and UC San Diego found no evidence that annual security awareness training correlates with reduced phishing failures and found that embedded training only reduced click rates by 2%.
For accounting firms specifically, the stakes are high. You're handling:
- Client bank account details and credit card numbers
- Tax file numbers and personal identification
- Business financial records and payroll data
- Login credentials for accounting software and client portals
A single successful phishing attack can expose all of this. Under Australia's Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, you'd then need to notify affected clients and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. That's expensive, time-consuming, and damages client trust.
The Pre-Start Security Setup
Before your new hire's first day, get these items sorted:
Create their accounts with strong defaults. Set up their email with multi-factor authentication already enabled. Don't make it optional. Configure their access permissions to only include what they need for their role.
Prepare their training materials. Have your phishing awareness resources ready to go. This could be as simple as a one-page guide showing common phishing red flags, or access to your training platform if you use one.
Add them to your phishing simulation tool. If you're using automated phishing training for employees in Australia, add their email address before they start. This lets you include them in your regular testing schedule from day one.
Day One: Setting Security Expectations
Security training shouldn't wait until week two. Include it in your day-one orientation alongside the usual paperwork and introductions.
Explain the threat in plain terms. Skip the technical jargon. Tell them: "We handle sensitive client data, which makes us a target for email scams. You'll receive fake emails that look real, asking you to click links or share information. Part of your job is spotting these."
Show real examples. Pull up screenshots of actual phishing emails that have targeted your firm or industry. Point out the red flags: unusual sender addresses, urgent language, requests for credentials, suspicious links.
Establish reporting procedures. Make it crystal clear what they should do when they spot something suspicious. Who do they tell? Is there a specific email address for reporting? What if they've already clicked?
The Five Red Flags to Cover
Give them a simple mental checklist:
- Sender address doesn't match the organisation. An email claiming to be from the ATO but sent from [email protected] is fake.
- Urgency and threats. "Your account will be suspended in 24 hours" is designed to make them panic and click without thinking.
- Requests for passwords or personal information. Legitimate organisations don't ask for this via email.
- Unexpected attachments. Especially .zip files or documents asking to "enable macros."
- Links that don't go where they claim. Hover over links to see the actual destination before clicking.
Week One: Hands-On Practice
Reading about phishing isn't the same as experiencing it. Research from the University of South Florida found that employees learn better when they receive follow-up training after simulated attacks, even if they didn't fall for them.
Send a test phishing email. Within their first week, send your new hire a simulated phishing email. This isn't about catching them out. It's about giving them a safe way to practice recognising threats.
If they click, don't punish them. Use it as a teaching moment. Show them exactly what they missed and how to spot it next time. This immediate feedback is often more effective than a lecture.
Walk through your software's security features. Show them how to report suspicious emails in Outlook or Gmail. Demonstrate how your accounting software handles login alerts. Make sure they know how to check for secure connections when accessing client portals.
How to Meet Cyber Insurance Training Requirements
If your firm has cyber insurance, check your policy. Many insurers now require documented security awareness training as a condition of coverage. Without it, you might find claims denied when you need them most.
To meet cyber insurance training requirements, you typically need:
- Records showing each employee completed training
- Evidence of ongoing testing (not just a one-time session)
- Documentation of your security policies
Automated phishing simulation platforms generate these records automatically. Every test sent, every result, every training completed gets logged. When your insurer asks for proof, you have it.
Making Training Stick: The Ongoing Approach
A one-time training session during onboarding may not be enough. Research into phishing training effectiveness suggests that regular, repeated exposure to simulated attacks can produce better results than annual training alone.
Set up a regular testing schedule. Monthly or fortnightly simulations keep security awareness fresh without overwhelming your team. Good platforms adjust difficulty based on each person's performance, so employees who need more practice get it automatically.
Keep the conversation going. When new phishing techniques emerge (like AI-generated scam emails), mention them in team meetings. Share examples of attacks you've blocked. Make security part of your firm's culture rather than an annual checkbox.
Your Complete Onboarding Checklist
Before they start:
- Enable multi-factor authentication on their accounts
- Set appropriate access permissions
- Add them to your phishing simulation platform
- Prepare training materials
Day one:
- Explain the phishing threat in plain language
- Show real examples of phishing emails
- Teach the five red flags
- Establish reporting procedures
Week one:
- Send their first simulated phishing test
- Provide immediate feedback on results
- Walk through software security features
- Document training completion for insurance
Ongoing:
- Include them in regular phishing simulations
- Assign training when they fail tests
- Update them on new threats
- Review their progress quarterly
Get Started in Minutes
You don't need technical skills or a big budget to run effective phishing training for employees in Australia. Our platform handles everything automatically: it researches your organisation, creates realistic test emails tailored to accounting scenarios, tracks who clicks, and delivers training to those who need it.
Want to see how it works? Sign up for a free trial and send yourself a test phishing email. You'll experience exactly what your new hires will see, and you'll understand why this approach works better than reading another security policy document.
