How to Get Employees to Remember and Use Security Protocols
Your employees can be your greatest strength or your worst weakness as it pertains to cybersecurity. Employees can download harmful software, click on hazardous links and use compromised USB disks on work computers.
Therefore, it is imperative to create a culture of cybersecurity at your company where employees are on the frontline of preventing cyberattacks on your computer systems. It will take ingenuity and persistence to get employees to apply security protocols.
The following are tips to help you get employees to remember to use security protocols:
Print Reminders on Stickers for Laptops and Other Devices
Human beings are very visual creatures, and visual reminders work very well. It would be best to use that to your advantage to get your staff to remember security protocols. One way to utilize visuals to get employees to implement security protocols is to print stickers from StickerYou for them to use on their laptops.
Every time they place their laptops on their work or home desks, they will be reminded to use the security protocols outlined on the sticker when they open the laptops. Use an appealing color or design that the employees have to notice.
Invest in Employee Training
Practice makes perfect, so if you want your employees to always remember to use security protocols, you should train them. Invest in employee training, so they are constantly learning and reminded of the importance of security protocols such as keeping work and home devices separate.
If they do it often enough, it will soon become second nature. You can find an expert in security and invite them to conduct regular training at the firm. They will know how to best train employees on applying security protocols. It may cost you substantially but not as much as a security breach will.
Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is a psychological tactic that involves offering rewards for positive behavior. People like feeling appreciated, even for things they should do. You can use positive reinforcement to promote the recall and implementation of security protocols at the workplace.
You can have bonus points, gifts, or other rewards you give employees every time they use the security protocols. They will soon associate using security protocols with the rewards they receive. The downside to positive reinforcement is that you must continue offering rewards, or the behavior might stop. However, the behavior will become habitual and automatic after a particular time.
Gamification
Gamification is the process of turning a process into a game. You can turn the application of security protocols into a game where employees compete to see who does it best and more often. You can have a scoring system where employees can set high scores and get a reward like a bonus check or trophy when they win the game.
Gamification has been shown to work in many professional environments, so why not try it with security protocols. Not only will it ensure the protocols are applied, but it will also make it fun.
Make It Personal
The best way to have your employees participate in the security protocols is to make them feel like they have a vested interest in the success of your security program. Therefore, you should find a way to make it personal.
One way to do so would be to intentionally compromise the data of an employee who does not implement the security protocols and show your employees how real the danger can be. They will apply the protocols if they see that their personal information will be compromised and damage them individually.
Instilling a security culture in the workplace and getting employees to use security protocols can be challenging. You can get them to remember them by using gamification, positive reinforcement, training, printing stickers, and making it personal. Find creative ways to remind your employees to stick to security protocols that suit your company specifically.
