SECURITY TRAINING / CYBERSECURITY

Reference / SPAR - Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity

SPAR Österreichische Warenhandels-AG

Together with SPAR, skillbest developed a cybersecurity e-learning course that conveys information security in an understandable, motivating and practical way. The Digital Security – Office Worker Standard project shows how modern IT security training can work: realistic scenarios, clear decisions and a didactic structure that really supports employees in their day-to-day work. The result is an international learning format that reduces digital risks and strengthens the security culture at SPAR in the long term.

Thousands

Learner

Specially designed for office teams who work with sensitive data on a daily basis.

5 Countries

Translated, localized and adapted to the specifics of each country.

4 Modules

In each module, learners experience a different job role in their target group.

100%

Tailor-made

Zero templates, zero generic: content tailored precisely to SPAR’s requirements.

e-Learning Award

Awarded for highest quality

SPAR and skillbest were awarded the eLearning AWARD 2026 in the Cybersecurity category for the joint project with SPAR. The cybersecurity e-learning shows how modern information security can become a motivating learning experience: realistic scenarios, clear decision-making paths and a structure that accurately reflects the everyday work of office employees. Through storytelling, interactivity and multilingual implementation, a training course was created that makes digital risks tangible and promotes sustainable behavioral change. The award underlines our claim to develop IT security training courses that are technically convincing, work internationally and effectively support employees.

The didactic approach

Making information security tangible for learners

For cybersecurity e-learning to really work, it needs more than just knowledge transfer: learners need to feel how relevant information security is in their day-to-day work. For this project, SPAR and skillbest therefore opted for an approach that focuses on real-life situations and makes every decision comprehensible. Authentic storytelling, role changes and interactive elements create a learning flow that actively involves employees and gives them guidance. Theory is only used where it strengthens the practical context – comprehensibly, precisely and immediately usable. This creates a learning process that promotes sustainable behavior and makes digital risks tangible.

Our awareness training courses are based on a clear didactic structure:

Identify

Learners first experience the situation for themselves and decide whether there is a risk – the first step towards acting safely.

Act

The learners actively decide how they would mitigate the risk – so safe procedures are practiced directly.

Theory

Not every situation can be fully simulated – the theory complements what has been learned and creates a solid basis for similar cases.

Interview with DI (FH) Clemens Grill

Why was customized cybersecurity e-learning necessary for SPAR?

In an international group like SPAR, thousands of office employees work with sensitive information every day. Experience shows that employees need to have specific knowledge and clear options for action in order to be able to defend themselves against cyber threats.

In addition, the new NIS-2 directive also required us to raise our awareness measures to a new level. A standard course would not have done justice to our organization, so we opted for training that was tailored precisely to our requirements and working reality. We needed a training course that reflected our real processes, supported our employees in the best possible way and strengthened them in precisely those areas that are crucial for safe and efficient work. The e-learning makes exactly that possible and makes information security noticeably more relevant in everyday working life.

What do you think makes cybersecurity e-learning for SPAR special?

The training is incredibly practical. Each scene is based on a real situation that we know from our internal analyses. Employees experience typical scenes from their everyday office life, make decisions and directly see the consequences. The combination of storytelling, clear action steps and compact theory creates a learning format that doesn’t lecture – it empowers. This is exactly what we need to further embed digital security in the long term.

How important was the international, multilingual implementation?

This was a key success factor for us. Our organization is international, our processes differ to some extent depending on the country – and yet all employees need a common understanding of safety. Cultural adaptation was therefore essential. It is not enough to translate a text. Scenarios must be just as authentic in Italy, Croatia, Slovenia or Hungary as they are in Austria. We can see from the feedback that this has been successful: our colleagues feel that they have been taken on board.

What did you particularly like about working with skillbest?

Even after the first pitch, it was clear that skillbest was not only interested in the project, but also had the expertise to develop the right solution together with us. We had the feeling that they were not simply accepting an order – but that someone understood how to raise awareness training to a level that is rarely seen in the e-learning market. The agency came with a clear vision of how to bring complex cybersecurity topics to life for office workers and develop a format that is practical, internationally scalable and motivating at the same time. This aspiration was evident at all times in the collaboration itself: short paths, clear decisions and a common goal of creating something truly new and effective.

"The most remarkable thing for me about this project is that we actually managed to turn a seemingly dry mandatory training topic into an inspiring and entertaining training course. There were even requests for family members of employees to volunteer to do the training too."

DI (FH) Clemens Grill (Deputy CISO – SPAR ICS)

Cybersecurity eLearning Phishing Website

Storytelling & interactivity

Cybersecurity e-learning shows how effective training can be when storytelling and interaction work seamlessly together. Each module follows its own storyline that is directly anchored in the everyday working lives of office employees – not an artificially constructed story, but situations that employees actually experience. This resulted in a high recognition value and unexpectedly strong acceptance. The theory was deliberately separated from the storyline so that it can be expanded at any time without interrupting the dramaturgy. This clear separation makes the training not only flexible, but also entertaining: employees make decisions, reflect on risks and experience information security in a format that motivates rather than instructs.

Visual quality with real recognition value

The e-learning uses high-quality graphics designed in SPAR CI/CD to create an authentic and professional learning environment. The style immediately shows that this training is not a mass-produced product, but has been developed specifically for employees. Realistic scenes keep the experience credible and adult-oriented, and a little fun is also provided within the stories.

The high level of interactivity runs through all modules and makes learners an active part of the storyline. Decisions, risk assessments and small action sequences ensure that content is not only conveyed, but actually experienced – a key factor for sustainable learning success.

Günther Veit, Managing Director

Together with SPAR, we were able to show what modern awareness training can look like: authentic, interactive and so relevant that it really makes a difference in everyday working life.

Alja Budja, e-Learning Designer

My aim was to create scenes that felt real to the employees. Only when visuals are authentic can learners fully immerse themselves in the situation.

Mirjam Jobst, e-Learning Creator

It was important to me that every interaction was meaningful. Learners shouldn't click to click - they should actively experience how good decisions affect safety.