Help Reduce Digital Threats in 2021 Without Scaring Your Employees

Try a “Less Scary” Technique When Talking to Your Employees About Cybersecurity

As we’re entering a new year, it’s time to try new things. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Why Companies Should Stop Scaring Employees About Cybersecurity, Karen Renaud advocates trying a new approach with your employees about helping them stay diligent with cybersecurity: fewer scare tactics.

Scare tactics can be scary and ineffective, according to Renaud, who says that “corporations typically flip to a strong emotion to get workers to be vigilant about cybersecurity.” She recommends that a different approach is needed for employees to be careful, take action, and feel good about their digital behavior. She says, “scare techniques don’t get individuals invested in safety over the long run.”

When it comes to talking to your employees about security and privacy, continue discussing phishing and data breaches when emphasizing best practices. But how about trying a different approach? Renaud states that “heavy-handed, scare messaging could make workers disgruntled and bored with safety” and suggests that workers who are in a continuing state of tension could make them unable to think clearly.

With the continued COVID-19 tensions, cyber risks are amplified by stress and fatigue. Despite a vaccine on the horizon, COVID-19 continues to take an unprecedented toll on peoples’ mental health. In fact, many people are dealing with COVID Stress Syndrome. Another reason that a gentler approach to engaging your employees about cybersecurity and digital threats may be more effective.

Based on research Renaud collected, here are some tips of what works well to help engage employees with privacy and security trends:

• Create a buddy system. Don’t put individuals in a room and speak at them for hours about safety. Give them a “buddy” who’s there to assist them within the workplace to assist them to perform the actions you need. (This can be an online buddy.)
• Present enough assets. As an alternative to counting on individuals to take a number of key steps to make sure safety is implemented, give them instruments that may assist them or automate the job.
• Take away obstacles. Plenty of the fear-based cybersecurity messages center around telling individuals what tools they will use within the workplace. An alternative to banning such instruments, corporations ought to work out how these instruments can be utilized securely and successfully.

Working together in 2021 is the best solution for everyone. While cyber threats are not going away, neither is a remote workforce. In fact, 48 percent of employees will likely to continue to work remotely post-COVID-19, according to Gartner.

Moving from a “human-as-problem” to a “human-as-solution” cybersecurity mindset is the way to go, according to research by the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies. We all can use more solutions in 2021!

Speaking of solutions, check out IDX’s HR’s Guide to Protecting Employees to learn tips to help your employees reduce digital threats and keep their privacy and identity safe. Consumer Reports is another helpful resource — with a non-scary approach to helping your employees. Check it out for tips you can share with your employees around multifactor security, adjusting social media privacy settings, and locking down your smart home device.

Watch our Reduce Digital Threats for Employees Working from Home webinar on demand to learn more!