Oct 5th, 2022
Security starts with awareness
In today’s boundaryless workplace, comprehensive security is essential. That kind of 360-degree protection requires education and awareness to safeguard identities, data, and devices. Awareness programs help enable security teams to effectively manage their human risk by changing how people think about cybersecurity and helping them practice secure behaviors. The SANS 2022 Security Awareness Report analyzed data from more than a thousand security professionals from around the world to identify how organizations are managing their human risk. The report found that more than 69 percent of security awareness professionals are part-time, meaning that they spend less than half their time on security awareness.
According to the SANS report, cybersecurity awareness professionals should endeavor to:
Engage leadership by focusing on terms that resonate with them and demonstrate support for their strategic priorities. “Don’t talk about what you are doing, talk about why you are doing it.”
Consider having a 10-to-1 ratio of technical security professionals to human-focused security professionals.
Partner with other departments in the organization—such as communications, human resources, and business operations—to help engage and communicate with your workforce.
Make the training simple to understand and follow. “Just like working out—it’s the frequency that’s important.” And dedicate time to collecting information about the impact of your awareness programs.
