Employees Becoming CyberChamps

How to strengthen your firm’s first line of defense – your employees

The gravity of the cybersecurity challenges made national news when on October 2, 2019, the FBI issued a high-impact cyber-attack warning in response to attacks on state and local government targets. It warned that health care organizations, industrial companies, and the transportation sector were also being targeted. 

Historically, organizations and government entities have been playing catch-up in dealing with cybersecurity and data privacy protection. In response, human resource executives and Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) have developed policies and strategies to protect data privacy. Virtually all of these policies and strategies are designed around employees being the first line of defense. Eddie Borrero says employee’s security mindset will put you on the right track.
 

“Firms that inspire in their employees a security mindset and personal  sense of responsibility for keeping the business secure are definitely on the  right track”, according to Eddie Borrero, CISCO Robert Half.1

The sheer amount of daily employee Internet activities make it imperative that employees become a firm’s partner in protecting sensitive information. Like most training, the Internet cybersecurity training content can be right on target, but the key question is it being retained. Some studies have indicated as much as 70% of what we teach is forgotten within twenty-four hours.²   

Training programs that include ongoing reminders about information security helps maintain a security mindset. Equipped with that mindset, employees can become CyberChamps^SM3 and partners in protecting sensitive information. Gifts to employees at the end of security training sessions can improve training retention. In social psychology, reciprocity is a social norm of responding to a positive action with another positive action Wikipedia. 

Gift reminders function much like repetitive advertising. For example, printed messages and reminder slogans on inexpensive items like USB memory sticks, Sticky Notes and Panic Whistles can be used. Follow up reminders that provide utility and something employees want or need are even more effective. For example, there are several Internet “distraction blocker” software USB APPs that some employees would appreciate receiving. CareerBuilder’s 2016 survey of U.S. hiring and HR managers found employee distractions from the Internet (41%) and emails (26%)⁴. Distraction blocker APPs help employees both at home and work to reduce Internet distractions and improve their productivity.   

In conclusion, research indicates that employees are more engaged and feel obligated when they receive unanticipated gifts. Marcel Mauss, author of the book The Gift states, “Gifts which are supposed to be given voluntarily, are actually obligatory”⁵. Employee cyber training programs that include follow up reminders should strengthen your firm’s first line of defense – your employees. 

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