In 2019, the City of Aiken IT department launched Cyberween as a creative way to generate excitement around Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, while strengthening employee knowledge of cyber threats and safe technology practices. What began as an internal awareness initiative has grown into one of the city’s most anticipated annual employee engagement programs.
Cyberween is a month-long email trivia competition designed exclusively for city employees. Each business day during October, participants receive an email containing a multiple-choice cybersecurity question covering topics such as phishing, password security, social engineering, mobile device safety, ransomware, data privacy and emerging threats. In addition to traditional trivia, some emails include carefully designed “tricks,” or simulated scenarios, intended to test whether employees are applying the guidance being shared and paying close attention to warning signs commonly seen in real-world attacks.
Employees who answer correctly are entered into weekly prize drawings, with all correct responses throughout the month also qualifying for a grand prize drawing at the conclusion of Cyberween. The competitive format, combined with humor and seasonal branding, has helped transform cybersecurity training from a routine obligation into something employees actively look forward to each year.
Participation has increased steadily since the program’s launch, with 2025 representing the most successful year to date. Just as importantly, the city has seen measurable cultural benefits, including increased reporting of suspicious emails, stronger visibility of cybersecurity initiatives and greater day-to-day engagement between employees and the IT department.
One of Cyberween’s greatest strengths is that it is internally developed and managed at very low cost. Because content is created in-house, the City of Aiken IT department can tailor questions and scenarios to current threats, employee behaviors and real operational risks facing local government. In recent years, the department has also leveraged artificial intelligence tools to help develop fresh questions, creative messaging and graphics, allowing the event to evolve while reducing administrative workload.
Cyberween has also provided valuable insights for the IT team. Over time, the program has reinforced that cybersecurity awareness cannot be predicted by job title, rank or technical background. Employees from every area of the organization have demonstrated strong instincts and attention to detail, while others have revealed opportunities for additional training. These lessons have helped the city better understand user behavior and refine future awareness efforts.
For government organizations seeking practical ways to improve cybersecurity culture, Cyberween demonstrates that awareness training does not have to be expensive, overly formal or easily ignored. With creativity, consistency, leadership support and a willingness to engage employees in new ways, cybersecurity education can become both effective and genuinely enjoyable.
Wesley Funderberg, the City of Aiken’s assistant director of Information Technology, contributed to this article.