Human resources are the key to becoming a security-conscious organization

1) Understand and accept the need for change

For a successful transformation, you need to help employees understand the need to evolve into a security-conscious organization and communicate the details of the timeline, what will change what will stay the same, and why. Here are some ways to spread the word:

• Communicate the need for change with compelling stories tailored to your organization and share past attacks and security events and their impact within and outside your organization.
• Utilize various media and internal communication channels, such as e-mails, newsletters, posters, flyers, booklets, and calendars, to tailor communications to target groups. Use diagrams, photos, text, and audio to emphasize your message
• Make sure your message resonates with everyone by sending regular reminders and reinforcing it
• Raise awareness and understanding through hacking demonstrations, social engineering role plays, sample scenarios, and opportunities to experience change in a model office

2) A desire to participate in and support change.

Although organizational stability may benefit individuals, it is rarely a sufficient motivator for individual change. A successful security awareness campaign must promote the benefits for both individuals and organizations, while also explaining the risks of not changing.

Here are some ways to increase employee interest and engagement:

• Citing personal benefits, such as improved professional capabilities through experience with new security knowledge or tools
• Combine education and play
  1. Plan competitive games to improve security skills and knowledge
  2. Appoint people to specific roles, such as having a security ambassador on each team, to recognize increased personal security awareness.
• Change policies, rules, and procedures (including penalties for non-compliance) to align with future expected behavior.

3) Knowledge of how to implement change.

Proper training is necessary for employees to be aware of security risks and familiarize themselves with new tools and processes. Employees are more likely to participate in regular training sessions if the training content is tailored to their job type and knowledge. Here are some tips:

• Tailor training to the subject’s level of responsibility, technical knowledge, and access to confidential information. Include specific details if necessary
• Introduce different channels, approaches, and mediums. For example, e-learning, in-person training, VIP training, videos, newsletters, etc.
• Provide regular and continuously available training

4) Practicing the necessary skills and behaviors

Management commitment is key to establishing a culture and environment where security-conscious behavior is the norm. Here are some ways to help your employees see new knowledge and processes as a benefit rather than a burden:

• Encourage managers to lead by example, abide by the rules expected of regular employees, and adopt the same behaviors.
• Communicate the seriousness of intentional security breaches and encourage correct behavior through benefits and recognition
• Make multi-factor authentication (MFA), password rules, logon methods, and other security tools as user-friendly as possible
• Make security awareness the norm through consistent messages and reminders about expected conditions

5) Make change sustainable

Here are some ways to sustain and further develop the results you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

• Define applicable control measures and verify the effectiveness of security awareness measures. For example, advanced learning tools typically include a set of metrics to evaluate training and measure success or failure.
• Use surveys, feedback tools, and other measurement methods to assess the effectiveness of awareness campaigns, analyze successes and failures, and identify areas for improvement.
• Share initial achievements and positive results to demonstrate the importance of security transformation. Then continue to address shortcomings and implement improvement activities to sustain the transformation.
• Introduce phishing simulations and similar tests to validate security awareness and threat recognition capabilities
• Keep employee knowledge up to date and maintain a high level of awareness by informing them of new threats and risks through regular communication and training.

There is no end to improving security awareness

Initiating a company-wide security awareness campaign that brings about people change is an effective way to accelerate your organization’s security awareness. But in reality, an effective security campaign never really ends. Keeping your workforce informed and prepared to deal with new threats and adversaries that constantly emerge is an ongoing process that requires vigilance, communication, and collaboration.

Transformation is an evolving process. Evolve to meet your organization’s needs and changing security trends.

Security-conscious organizations build a culture of security and constantly empower their employees with the tools, behaviors, and mindsets needed to protect the organization’s assets every day. This transforms the human factor from the weakest link to an organization’s IT and information security to a powerful force.