Security Awareness has to involve everyone
No matter how effective or strong the information security program may be it is only as effective as the most malicious or incompetent employee. There are numerous examples of businesses that have spent hundreds of thousands incorporating leading-edge technology, procedures, monitory systems, policies and comprehensive training programs, only to have one employee do something that compromised the systems, the data or some business process. While we cannot discount governance and technology, the obvious fact remains that information security must involve everyone in the company.
Everyone must know their part and understand the consequence of violating the policies the organization has put into place. What types of consequences does an organization put into place to ensure security awareness is taken seriously? This will depend upon the organization, its structure, HR regulations, etc. We have seen some organizations that have implemented a security awareness program as part of their new hire orientation training. To ensure that the new employee understands the security policies, badge access or computer access is not granted until they pass a test proving they have read and understood the information presented to them.
Consistent reinforcement of security procedures and policies needs to be done with existing staff as well. Yearly, ongoing training is a must, but how do you know if any of the information provided is being retained? You can encourage employees to do a yearly examination and it can be done anonymously. This would provide the organization with data to measure the effectiveness of the program and would also provide the employee with the necessary incentive to take the training. For more suggestions on security awareness program retention or incentive planning contact us! As always, your feedback or ideas are very welcome!
