Most companies have a security awareness training policy that outlines the requirements employees must accommodate to keep their company secure. How do you get your employees to remember security policies and keep them relevant during their daily tasks? Here’s how to make a good security awareness training policy.
What is a Security Awareness Training Policy?
A security awareness training policy sets standards of what employees are expected of regarding the security of your organization. This training helps employees to know what actions they should take to ensure proper security and what penalties to expect if security procedures are not followed. Having a security awareness policy helps your employees know exactly what their obligations are when protecting your business.
What Should You Include in Your Security Awareness Training Policy?
Your security awareness training policy will be comprised of five sections:
- Overview -The background for your policy and why it is necessary.
- Purpose- What you hope to achieve with your policy.
- Scope - Who the policy applies to.
- Policy - The requirements and guidelines of your policy.
- Penalties - What to expect if an employee fails to follow policy.
Tips to Develop a Successful Security Awareness Training Policy:
Think About Your Industry
Depending on what kind of industry you are in, the security measures can vary. Look at the compliance requirements for your industry. Some industries have more risks than others, making security compliance crucial. For example, a retail business and government office have very different security risks and procedures. Think about what risks and policies are unique to your industry. Your security awareness training policy should include the influences specific to your industry. What risks could emerge in your industry? Try to be one step ahead of physical security breaches.
Identify Specifics of Your Business
You’ve put time and effort into developing your business specifics, be sure to think of them when creating your security awareness training policy. Think about the specific parts of your business that are at a high risk for security breaches. Some other factors you should consider include your business’s location, the potential impact of new security policies on employee workflow, and what kind of confidential information your business handles. Give thought to the training specifics you want to emphasize on to develop a good security awareness training policy.
Think About the Skills and Limitations of Your Employees
Consider the skills and limitations of your employees when developing a successful security awareness training policy. Employees have different learning styles, chose which style to portray your security policy that employees will learn the quickest and easiest. For example, will you create a training video or schedule in person training sessions? Look at the skills and limitations of your employees to determine which strategy will convey your security policy the best. Having a lack of understanding about the security policy within your team will only slow down your business and create issues in the future.
Stay Brief and Focused
Keep your security policy brief and focused, leave out any irrelevant details that will distract your audience. You want to capitalize on employee’s attention spans and keep the training short. If our security awareness training policy drags on, it will bore employees and they won’t retain any information. Aim for training to be no longer than 25 minutes if you want employees to retain the security policies they’ve learned.
Involve All Levels of the Company
If you want to make a good security awareness training policy, be sure to involve all levels of your company. By involving all levels of your company, you are sending a strong message to your employees that your company is committed in developing a strong culture of security. Employees want to know that they are equally sharing the responsibility of securing your organization. Get everyone in your company on board with your security awareness training policy.
United Security Incorporated | Video Surveillance Systems
We know every client’s risks and business objectives are different requiring customized approaches, policies, procedures and requirements. For 30 years we have brought peace of mind to our clients through the careful application of investigative talent and technology implementation. When it comes to the security of your building, it's best not to leave it up to chance. Be sure that you have made every effort possible to keep your property, employees, and visitors well protected. If you have any concerns, you should consider having your security measures evaluated by a reputable company.
