How can you tailor your network security updates to resonate with non-technical employees?

Avoid jargon and hyperbole, but don't talk down to your audience. You are talking to professionals, not children - so tailor your explanation to meet their experience and knowledge and keep things focused on the impacts to the business. Whenever possible, connect the risks to your audience's IT or process pain points and business goals. The work starts with really understanding your (internal) customers and builds from there. If you can't explain what they do, and what issues they have, it's time to start forging relationships. This takes a lot more work than making broad, infantile analogies or just running and gunning with a tech talk, but has served me well

It is so interesting that non-technical staff do not even want to listen to those technical terms you want to tell them. So may listen and at the end of your long sermon, they tell you they didn't understand a bit of all you've said. So, simplifying the technical terms to lame man's language by pegging square and round holes perfectly would be a magic wand for you and your non-technical colleagues. Remember, good communication makes a whole difference.

Non technical employees are impacted by a small part of network security topics. Most of them are related to the connectivity of their devices (wired, non wired, remote, etc...). The best way to communicate on the security features is to describe simple use cases. ex : Working from remote, Using a personal device... The goal will be to explain the security guidelines of your organization, risks, best practices and connectivity constraints of each use case. This should be defined hand in hand with the teams managing devices and delivered as one sheet templates.

Every technical term is a definition or an abbreviation among the technical people. I always use to define the particular technical word in a small and easy way. For that you must know the exact meaning what those technical terms are. Communication is always the key especially when you speak with non technical stakeholder. I believe there were many fruitful vocab which can shine the conversation and easy to make someone understand.

Make it Fun: Let's face it, nobody likes being told what to do. Instead of a stern "update your software now," try a "Security Update Challenge" with prizes for the fastest, most diligent folks. Gamify it with badges for completed updates, or even a leaderboard – competition is a great motivator!

Visual aids are powerful tools for enhancing comprehension and retention of information. Use charts, diagrams, infographics, and slides to visually represent data and concepts. Visuals can simplify complex ideas, highlight key points, and make your presentations more engaging. Incorporating well-designed visual aids helps your audience follow along and remember the information more effectively.

Using infographics, charts, and videos to explain complex concepts visually are a great way to help non-technical staff grasp important information more easily. They are also a great way to get a message and ideas across if presenting and limited on time. Remember....A picture is worth a thousand words.

Use Visuals: Incorporate infographics, charts, and videos to make the information more engaging. Visual aids can simplify complex concepts.

Visual Aids are wonderful ways to illustrate technical functionalities, and practical representation of complex issues. Creating a simple visual representation of how security breaches occur can be guaranteed tactics for educating non technical employees. Moreover a well thought and created visual Aids example may resonate more to any audience than hours of prepared lectures.

Engaging stories captivate your audience and make your message more relatable and memorable. Use real-life examples, case studies, and anecdotes to illustrate your points. Stories create an emotional connection, making the information more impactful and easier to recall. By weaving narratives into your communication, you can make complex topics more accessible and interesting.

Engaging in stories is a good way to communicate with non-tech employees. It helps them engage and keeps them moving with some enthusiasm around security topics and upcoming sessions, which sometimes feel boring due to technical terms. My way is to show them a movie clip, of a movie which they might have seen and relate it to them. How these bad actors take advantage. Then use format to discuss ‘What they need to know’ – like threat to public Wi-Fi network, imagine a scenario or put yourself in a same spot as of move clip they just saw. Now what they can do to avoid such things, how they can help other by sharing awareness.

A favorite story/analogy of mine is to think of hackers as vampires. They can't get into the house unless you invite them in. Give employees recognition for recognizing things like phishing attempts and reporting. A Van Helsing award starts to make this a game/fun and not another annoyance by IT security.

Establishing a feedback loop is crucial for continuous improvement and effective communication. Encourage your audience to ask questions, provide input, and share their thoughts. Actively listen to their feedback and use it to refine your message and delivery. A feedback loop ensures that your communication is clear, relevant, and responsive to the needs of your audience.

Feedback Loop: Encourage employees to ask questions and provide feedback. Use their feedback to improve future communications.

Enhancing network security training sessions requires a dynamic and inclusive approach. By incorporating interactive elements, catering to various learning styles, conducting regular and relevant training, using real-world examples, and involving leadership, you can create a robust security culture within your organization. Continuous improvement through feedback and adaptation, along with recognition and support, will help ensure that employees are not only informed but also actively engaged in protecting the organization’s network.

Training sessions are an excellent way to educate and engage your audience on specific topics. Organize workshops, seminars, and hands-on training to provide in-depth knowledge and practical skills. Interactive sessions that include discussions, activities, and real-world applications enhance learning and retention. Regular training sessions help keep your audience informed and capable of applying what they’ve learned.

Mesmo para funcionários experientes que receberam treinamento inicial, o refor?o periódico de seguran?a da informa??o é crucial. Com o tempo, as pessoas esquecem informa??es e negligenciam práticas importantes. Revisitar o conteúdo mantém as melhores práticas frescas na mente, refor?ando a importancia de senhas fortes, aten??o a e-mails suspeitos e manuseio correto de dados confidenciais, criando uma cultura de seguran?a mais forte e protegendo a empresa.

Incorporate interactive elements like quizzes, gamified learning experiences, and hands-on workshops. These methods can make learning more engaging and memorable. Using simulated drills, such as a mock phishing attack, are a great way to test and reinforce employees’ ability to recognize and respond to threats. Should an employee click a on a simulated phishing email, an immediate pop-up can explain what went wrong and how to avoid it in the future. Giving the employee instant feedback and training.

Regular Training and Refresher Courses: Conduct periodic training sessions to reinforce security practices. Use interactive methods such as quizzes or simulations to keep employees engaged.

You can create a chat group where you can discuss security news and involve both technical and non-technical people while encouraging asking questions for topics that need clarifications or add-ons. This can be done in a user-friendly way by using real stories or approaches that keep anyone engaged.

Continuous updates are essential to keep your audience informed about the latest developments and changes. Regularly update your content, presentations, and training materials to reflect new information, technologies, and best practices. Providing continuous updates ensures that your audience has access to current and accurate information, enabling them to stay ahead in their field and make informed decisions.

It is up to the IT group to manage the updates for endpoints and networking equipment. Schedule these updates when it effects the fewest users, even if it means IT has to work after hours if they don't have a solution that does the updates and reboots automatically. For networking equipment pre-plan updates and only shut down non-essentially equipment as needed but when it is going to cause the users to be offline, notify them ahead so they can plan accordingly.

Promote a culture of security awareness. Promoting a security- aware culture is key to mitigating the insider threat. Instilling the right beliefs and attitudes combats negligence and reduces the opportunity for malicious behavior.

To tailor network security for non-technical employees, simplify the concepts using relatable analogies and clear, jargon-free language. Provide interactive training sessions with practical examples, such as phishing simulations, to illustrate potential threats. Develop easy-to-follow guidelines and visual aids that highlight best practices. Additionally, create a support system where employees can ask questions and report issues without feeling intimidated. This approach ensures that all staff members understand and can effectively contribute to maintaining network security.

Make it a Team Effort: Instead of just relying on IT to handle everything, get your team involved. Create a “Security Champion” role for someone who can spread the word and answer questions. Organize a monthly "Security Spotlight" meeting where you highlight a specific security threat and how to avoid it. Remember, security updates are not just about technology, they're about protecting our collective digital well-being. By making them fun, engaging, and part of our everyday culture, we can ensure everyone is on board and keep our digital lives secure.

At least the users need to understand why these updates are essential for the company and each of its employees. Security is not to block anything, but to enable the users to do their work properly and safely. It is also an important factor to make the users aware of threats and possible failures that could also lead to any threat / cyber threat to the company. Security is not about monitoring the users and their activities but some of the private things that are done are dangerous to the company and could end up in bad situation and blame a single users which both need to be avoided.