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The Different Types of Awareness Programs

Differences Between “Continuous” Programs and “Time-Bound” Programs

Updated over 3 weeks ago

Arsen’s Awareness Training module allows you to structure and deliver awareness programs composed of educational lessons, helping your employees develop the right cybersecurity reflexes.


1 – Objectives

This article explains:

  • the differences and advantages between the two available program types:

    • Continuous Program

    • Time Bound Program

  • how to correctly choose and configure a program based on your needs


2 – Prerequisites

  • Have the required permissions to access Awareness Training

  • Have sufficient permissions to configure programs (Admin)


3 – Creating a program in Awareness Training

  • Click Programs in the main menu

  • Click + New Program

  • Enter a program name

  • Choose between:

    • Continuous Program

    • Time Bound Program

Arsen dashboard showing the list of training programs with their audience, engagement rate, and status, along with recommended learning paths displayed at the bottom of the page

3.1 – Launching a Continuous Program

Arsen program configuration screen showing program name field and choice between continuous or time-bound program.

3.1.1 – Description

A Continuous Program has no global end date and is designed to run continuously.

Each employee follows the program for a personalized duration defined during configuration.

3.1.2 – Benefits and how it works

  • Automatically enroll new employees and start their journey as soon as they join

  • Allow returning employees to resume exactly where they left off

  • Give each employee a fixed duration to complete all lessons (defined in program settings)

3.1.3 – Setting the program duration

Select a duration from the available options (e.g., 1 week, 1 month, 3 months…)

Arsen program duration selection panel showing predefined options: 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year.

📚 Tip
Use a shorter duration if the program contains only a few key lessons.

3.1.4 – Important reminder about lesson expiration

⚠️ Lessons expire 7 days after being sent, regardless of program type.
If an employee does not complete the lesson within this time, it is marked as expired.

3.1.5 – Reminder policy

A reminder policy can be configured in Settings to automatically prompt employees to complete their lessons.

3.2 – Launching a Time Bound Program

Arsen screen for creating a time-bound program with a calendar popup to select the program period

3.2.1 – Description

A Time Bound Program has a fixed start date and end date, covering a specific time period.

3.2.2 – Configuring the date range

  • Click Time Bound

  • Click Select your Schedule

  • Choose:

    • the first date → when lessons start sending

    • the last date → when sending stops

The selected period appears in purple to confirm the date range.

Arsen calendar view showing selected dates for a program with highlighted days in November 2025

3.2.3 – How lessons are sent

  • Lessons are distributed progressively and linearly across the selected date range

  • Sending does not depend on employees joining— the window is fixed

3.2.4 – Lesson expiration

⚠️ Lessons still expire 7 days after being sent.

Implications:

  • A lesson sent on the last day remains available for 7 days after the program’s official end

  • Arsen continues to collect events during these additional 7 days


4 – Summary of differences between Continuous and Time Bound

Criteria

Continuous Program

Time Bound Program

Duration

Fixed, based on when an employee joins the program

Fixed, with a defined start and end date

Assignment

Manual or automatic via groups

Manual at program launch

Lesson sending

Continuous, based on employee entry date

Linear over the defined program window

Lesson expiration

7 days after sending

7 days after sending

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