What type of training is expected under the CTPAT MSCs?

• A. One-time onboarding training
• B. Occasional industry seminars
• C. Online general awareness modules
• D. Ongoing security training and awareness for employees, contractors, and business partners, including incident reporting and response

Answer: (D)

Under the CTPAT Minimum Security Criteria, training must be an ongoing program, not a one-time event. The idea is to keep security awareness current across everyone who touches the supply chain—employees, contractors, and business partners. This means regular, role-based training that reinforces security policies, procedures, and responsibilities, and it specifically includes how to report security incidents and how to respond when incidents occur. Ongoing training ensures people know what to do, whom to inform, and how to act during a security event, as threats and processes evolve over time.

A one-time onboarding session doesn’t sustain security readiness, and sporadic industry seminars or generic online modules don’t guarantee that all relevant parties receive practical, up-to-date, incident-focused instruction or that responsibilities are clearly understood. That’s why the best answer is ongoing security training and awareness for employees, contractors, and business partners, including incident reporting and response.