How do you train employees to prioritize security?

Assessing the security needs of employees is crucial for tailoring an effective training program. In my experience, conducting thorough assessments through methods like surveys and interviews helps identify specific security risks and knowledge gaps within the organization. For example, in a recent assessment, we discovered that employees lacked awareness about phishing attacks, highlighting the need for targeted training in recognizing and mitigating such threats. By understanding these needs upfront, organizations can develop training programs that address pertinent security concerns and empower employees to prioritize security in their day-to-day activities.

It is important to understand the Threats and Hazards and the potential Consequences to employees and the company/site. There must be a good explanation of the reasons security measures are necessary to counter these explained and illustrated Threats/Hazards. If senior leadership is clearly understanding and supportive, that also speaks volumes to employees. For example, if the CEO wears/displays his/her photo ID badge, and challenges those not wearing an ID badge, and explains why he/she does that...it will spread like wildfire and more employees will follow the leader's examples.

Security need to filter through to all site users. Vigilance should be encouraged and there should be a dedicated program to encourage those who are not directly security personnel to engage with security awareness and should be included in site security communications. Overall it is creating that ethos of 'Security is everyone's responsibility '..

Prior to the start of every event that we contract/supply security to, I always emphasize the seriousness of EVERYONE's involvement in the contracted event by letting ALL that are involved to make it a safe and secured event, that SECRITY cannot be defined or spelled without U.

Training employees to prioritize security involves several key steps: Awareness Programs Policy Communication Simulated Phishing Exercises Role-Based Training Incident Response Training Regular Updates Promote a Security Culture Continuous Learning

In formulating the security training program's objectives, the focus lies on cultivating a culture of vigilance and adherence. An example might be setting a goal to achieve a 100% completion rate of security training modules within three months, resulting in a targeted 25% reduction in security incidents by the year's end. In this example the SMART-defined objectives, aligned with the security architecture goals, are poised to measurably reinforce a robust security culture through comprehensive training and a significant decrease in breaches.

Exactly, designing clear and SMART objectives for your security training program is essential. These objectives should outline what you want employees to learn, do, or change. They should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Aligning these objectives with your security architecture goals and principles ensures a cohesive approach. Additionally, setting up measurable metrics will help gauge the impact of the training on security performance and culture over time.

1. Align Objectives with Organizational Security Goals:Understand the Security Strategy,Support Business Needs 2. Address Specific Threats and Vulnerabilities:Identify Key Risks,Role-Specific Objectives 3. Focus on Behavior Change:Promote Security-First Behavior,Encourage Continuous Vigilance 4. Ensure Compliance with Legal and Regulatory Requirements,Compliance-Centered Objectives,Breach Response Awareness 5. Make Objectives Measurable and Actionable:Set Clear, Measurable Goals,Define Success Criteria 6. Promote Continuous Learning and Improvement,Encourage Ongoing Education,Support Adaptability to New Threats 7. Enhance Collaboration and Incident Response:Encourage Collaborative Security Efforts,Improve Incident Response Readiness.

Objectives for security training to include: conducting a thorough risk assessment to identify and prioritize security risks, analyzing past incidents to identify patterns and areas for improvement, engaging stakeholders to understand security concerns, evaluating the effectiveness of current security protocols, gathering employee feedback on awareness and training needs, bench marking against industry best practices, aligning security training with organizational goals, obtaining expert insights from external consultants, and establishing a framework for continuous reassessment of security training needs.

Objectives serve as guiding principles for the development of the training curriculum and help ensure that the training program effectively addresses the identified needs and goals. This helps focus the training content and activities on achieving measurable results. Objectives should be relevant to the identified needs of the organization and its employees. This may involve defining specific metrics or criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the training. Setting unrealistic objectives can undermine the effectiveness of the training program and lead to frustration among participants. This ensures that the training program contributes to the broader security strategy and objectives of the organization.

Developing engaging and relevant content is key to ensuring the effectiveness of security training programs. Drawing from my experience, I've found that incorporating real-life scenarios and examples resonates well with employees and reinforces learning. For instance, in a recent content development project, we created interactive modules that simulated cybersecurity incidents relevant to our industry, allowing employees to navigate through various security challenges in a safe environment. Additionally, providing opportunities for collaboration and discussion fosters a sense of ownership and encourages employees to actively participate in their security training journey.

Developing content for your security program can be daunting to say the least. Personally, I use the overarching directives to ensure content is complete. As a security professional you have to be creative while still ensuring the content is accurate, direct and engaging. I also have found that sending out different types of training to our personnel has been a great lesson learned to see what types of training they enjoy.

Content Creation: Develop engaging and interactive content tailored to your objectives. Diverse Formats: Use a mix of videos, quizzes, real-world scenarios, and hands-on activities. Subject Matter Experts: Involve cybersecurity experts to provide accurate and up-to-date information. Personal Insight: In our program, we used real-world scenarios and case studies, which made the training more relatable and impactful. Employees were more engaged when they saw how security breaches could directly affect their work.

For everyone to be set up to succeed, they need to understand and buy into the fact that security is everyone's responsibility. It is important to explain the why and ensure they have all of the knowledge they need to be security minded. If our team's don't succeed, it is likely something we are not doing. Training and education that includes the why is critical. After that, it is making sure we have the right supports in place. Strong leaders who walk the talk is also critical.

Any training program should ensure content alignment with adult learning principles: focus on relevance to their experiences, incorporate problem-solving and decision-making activities, allow for collaborative learning, provide immediate feedback, and utilize various multimedia formats for a dynamic learning experience.

Implementation is critical because training is like handing out recipes on how to make a cake. Without the right ingredients and the right tools, you cannot make the cake. Other examples include training for a SWAT Team or a Surgical Team... without the right strategies and tools, they will not get the results you really want and need. Too many times we see the training (recipes) are provided, but not the tools and strategies people need to do what the training suggests to implement and sustain the security, safety, intervention, and prevention efforts to achieve the results desired.

Absolutely, the implementation phase involves delivering the security training program to employees. This includes planning, scheduling, and communicating expectations. Providing resources and support is crucial, and monitoring the training's progress helps identify challenges. Gathering feedback and data helps in evaluating effectiveness. Following up with employees, offering additional guidance, and reinforcing learning and behavior further enhance the program's impact. It's an ongoing process to ensure continuous improvement in security practices.

1. Establish a Clear Program Framework:Define Program Scope,Create a Timeline,2. Engage Leadership Support:Secure Management Buy-In,Set Expectations,3. Develop and Deploy Training Materials:Finalize Content Development,Choose a Learning Management System,Pilot the Training Program,4. Roll Out Training Sessions:Schedule Training Sessions,Promote Participation,Use Engaging Delivery Methods,5. Facilitate Interactive Learning:Encourage Participation,Conduct Hands-On Exercises,6. Implement Assessments and Feedback Mechanisms:Conduct Pre- and Post-Training AssessmentsCollect Feedback,7. Provide Ongoing Support and Resources:Create a Resource Hub,Establish a Help Desk 8. Monitor Participation and Progress:Track Training Completion Rates.

Rollout Plan: Create a detailed plan for rolling out the training program, including timelines and milestones. Training Delivery: Use a mix of in-person workshops, webinars, and online modules to accommodate different learning styles. Accessibility: Ensure the training is easily accessible to all employees, including those in remote or hybrid work environments.

Get the C-Suite to BUY IN ! Show them that there is a Return On Investment (ROI). That when they FOSTER LIFE LONG LEARNING, they BUILD a Culture where People Grow. And with that CAPACITY GROWS, and when that happens so does the amount of WORK and PROFIT. And when we are talking SECURITY, that also means LOWERING RISK & INCREASING REWARD by DECREASING COSTS. It costs not only Money, but TIME and LIVES. LIVES MATTER, and when the CULTURE is about improving LIVES through OPPORTUNITY to WORK and PROFIT the PROGRAM becomes ATTRACTIVE. Not only to the C-Suite but the EMPLOYEES. Because Everyone wants to be part of SUCCESS ! And a succseful Security program builds FOUNDATIONAL CAPACITY for Workers to Work and Achieve holistic goals TIME over TIME.

1. Collect and Analyze Data:Training Completion Rates,Assessment Scores,Participation Metrics,2. Gather Employee Feedback:Post-Training Surveys,Focus Groups,3. Monitor Behavioral Changes:Incident Reporting,Employee Observations,4. Review Performance Metrics:Benchmark Against Goals,Track Long-Term Retention,5. Analyze Trends and Patterns:Identify Common Gaps,Departmental Comparisons,6. Solicit Management and Stakeholder Input:Involve Leadership,Gather Input from Security Teams,7. Implement Continuous Improvement:Adjust Training Content,Establish a Feedback Loop,8. Document Findings and Recommendations:Create a Review Report,Share Findings with All Employees 9. Plan for Future Training:Schedule Follow-Up Training,Stay Current with Trends

In a recent review conducted within my organization, we utilized a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, including post-training surveys and knowledge assessments, to measure the effectiveness of our training initiatives. By analyzing the data collected, we were able to identify areas of strength, such as increased awareness of security best practices, as well as areas for improvement, such as the need for more hands-on simulations to reinforce learning. This iterative review process allows organizations to refine their training strategies and ensure they remain aligned with evolving security needs and objectives.

Building a robust security architecture isn't just about technology—it's about empowering your team with physical security prowess. ??? After training, assess with a blend of quantitative and qualitative methods—surveys, tests, interviews. Compare against objectives, dissect strengths and weaknesses. Reporting findings is key, paving the way for continuous improvement. Let's fortify our physical defenses together! ???? #PhysicalSecurity #TrainingSuccess #SecurityArchitecture

Feedback Collection: Gather feedback from participants through surveys and informal discussions. Performance Metrics: Use assessments, quizzes, and performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Analyze Data: Analyze the data to identify areas of improvement and success.

The RESULTS are not always visible right away, and they require evaluation. Test the Learning, and USE the Knowledge either internally or as a Product as a Service (PAAS). When the results start to show, it will be after TIME has passed and there will be FAILURE, failure is not a terrible thing always. Tests allow failure to be a learning method, because it is better to fail a test than to fail when LIVES and further opportunity may be impacted. Evaluation is always about AFTER ACTION, when either things go right or wrong. So Foster a Culture where failure is not necessarily a bad thing, where getting back up is characterized as Achievable. Life is about GROWTH, use TIME and LEARNING to Grow your People and Culture. The Business will GROW !

Feedback from not only your team members but other Security Professionals (peers) is a great way to improve your security training program. Peer reviews can help assist in making sure you are hitting the mark with your intended audience and content. It will also help ensure all training is clear and enjoyable. Feedback from your team members being trained can assist in reviewing their level of engagement, understanding the training, and if they have any follow-up questions. Your training program should be ever evolving. Consistently updating your training methods and content is a great way to keep employees engaged and wanting to learn more.

Improving the program requires "data analytics" to show patterns, successes, weaknesses, trends, and identify new and emerging challenges that will need to be addressed. The challenge for most organizations is the "data" is scattered across systems (departments, locations, etc.), across organizations (schools, workplaces, law enforcement, etc.) and scattered across people. Research reveals the key to improving results is a centralized platform to collect the appropriate "data" (secure, privacy, confidential, compliant, legal, etc.) so decision makers can see the bigger picture and connect the dots to make improvements before being forced into reactive responses.

Iterative Process: Continuously update and refine the training program based on feedback and performance data. New Threats: Incorporate new threats and emerging security trends into the training content. Ongoing Training: Establish a schedule for regular, ongoing training sessions to keep security knowledge fresh. Personal Insight: We made it a point to review and update our training materials quarterly. This helped us stay ahead of new threats and ensured that our employees were always equipped with the latest security knowledge.

One aspect worth considering is the importance of fostering a culture of continuous learning and security awareness beyond formal training sessions. Organizations can achieve this by integrating security awareness into various aspects of the work environment, such as regular communications, interactive workshops, and gamified learning experiences. For example, implementing a "Security Tip of the Week" email campaign or hosting lunch-and-learn sessions on trending security topics can help keep security top-of-mind for employees. Additionally, recognizing and rewarding employees who demonstrate proactive security behaviors can further incentivize participation and engagement in security initiatives.

Security is only as important as the person at the top of the corporation says it is. An effective security program at the bottom will reflect the attitudes and actions of the top. When administration says it is interfering with operations, the workforce will also treat security as an interference. When administration not only promotes but also espouses security postures and attitudes, the entire organization becomes security conscious and active.

Your weakest link in any security program will always be the human element. These human failures often stem from the security administration not understanding their stakeholders needs and what their stakeholders value as the asset that needs protecting. Once this is identified the best course of action as to how to best safeguard the asset can be developed. Working collaboratively with stakeholders will build support from the top down allowing you to create a culture of security mindedness within the organization.