How Santa's Cyber Security Culture Can Work For You! Part 4: Communication Channels

Beneath the awe of the Northern lights,

Elves craft away during long polar nights.

Security responsibility lies with all in the wonderland,

Aiming to identify, monitor and control data at hand.

How could Santa encourage a cyber security culture within his magical workshop? How could this culture help you? The purpose of this article is for you, my loyal readers, to extract ideas to incorporate into your own company’s culture, if you wish.

Welcome to part 4, of “How Santa’s Cyber Security Culture Can Work For You!”.  In Part 1, I refer to cyber attacks and the overall aim of Santa’s security  training and awareness programme.  Part 2 defines some of the key security roles, which will need to be taken on by Santa’s little helpers.  Part 3 discusses elements for assessing training & awareness.  Part 4 points out important communication channels.

Best-practice security training can be achieved by Santa and the Snowman using highly-integrated multi-channel communications.  They can work across all media to create campaigns that target specific messages at all the little helpers, in a high impact and memorable way.

Here are some examples:

Campaign Slogan:

Santa and the Snowman should decide upon a catchy marketing slogan for the training and awareness campaign. This should stick in the minds of the helpers, assisting to build brand awareness (although I’m sure the world is quite aware of Christmas already!) and thus reminding the helpers of the workshop’s training & awareness programme.  Here are some actions which should be taken:

• Brainstorm words associated with the training & awareness programme
• Expand the list by using a thesaurus
• Start writing. Which words jump out at you?
• Shorten the list to a maximum of five words
• Avoid jargon or long-winded language

Video Mission Statement:

A video statement from Santa can capture and promote the essence of training & awareness within the workshop, including how it will support Santa’s goals and philosophies.

Intranet:

The intranet can be viewed as a mini-internet.  Dedicated solely to Santa’s workshop (as opposed to the rest of Lapland), it can provide all the little helpers with the benefits of the web within the workshop. The intranet can sit alongside the myriad of other communication tools within the workshop, but it will have a unique profile:

• Online: Availability is key.
• Interactive: Feedback can be received from the little helpers. Messages can be tailored with cartoons, tips and tricks, etc.
• “Pull” technology: Information access is at the little helper’s discretion.

Blogging:

Blogging on a frequent basis is a relatively easy, inexpensive way to enhance efforts to increase training & awareness.  Blogging can form part of the quick guide (discussed below) and the intranet.

E-Newsletter:

Newsletters are important internal communication tools if used properly. Sent around the workshop bi-monthly with statements from Santa, newsletters can be used to share information among departments, recognise the superior performance of the little helpers, celebrate milestones and achievements, deliver cyber security tips, and build morale before and after Christmas.

Quick Guide:

I’m sure the majority of the little helpers won’t want to dive through a stack of documentation dictating rules and regulations. However, short-and-sweet documentation, e.g. “Golden Rules of Cyber Security”, can begin the process of gaining a helper’s interest. Quick guides tend to have a high-use rate, providing brief yet precise points that offer the opportunity to delve into the subject further, should the helper wish.

Stand-Up Display/Roll-Up Banner:

These displays/banners are portable exhibition display units designed to carry an eye-catching graphic. They can provide a cost-effective solution to help promote training & awareness.  They can be easy for the little helpers to assemble and transport around the workshop.

Brain Game Playing Cards:

Fun playing cards which quiz the little helpers on the fundamentals of cyber security can be a quirky and exciting way of encouraging them to think of security consciously and subconsciously.

Conference:

A cyber security conference can make the most impact when it generates discussion, content and action amongst the little helpers. The reindeer may want to be involved in events, to have a voice and contribute to or learn from the issues at hand. The invitation of guest speakers, e.g. the Tooth Fairy, can trigger attendance and participation. The workshop can set up its own stalls around the conference, involving a variety of security subjects, such as:

• Data classification
• Clear desk policy
• Password protection
• ID cards and visitor passes
• Social media
• Social engineering
• Phishing
• Mobile security
• Incident management

Pocket Guide:

A training & awareness guide as travel/pocket size, e.g. folding debit/credit card format, can offer convenient access to key information for the little helpers.

Giveaways:

Fun and clever reminders about cyber security can come in different shapes and forms, such as:

• Coffee mugs with a hole and matching plug – “Another leak?”
• Handkerchief with the text “Oh no! A virus?”
• Giveaways printed with cartoon protagonists

For Part 5 and beyond, the information will be published shortly.