Thou shalt not let bad habits bring down a good business

At scarlettabbott, we help organisations strengthen their human firewall with smarter cyber communication strategies. So, whether you’re an IT lead, a people manager or a curious employee, consider this your starter pack for cyber safety communications.

Strategy sins 

Some of the biggest slip-ups start at the top. It’s easy to reactively share news and advice around information security after breaches or threats … but you must take time to create a messaging plan that truly resonates with your people – before it’s too late: 

• Thou shalt not treat cybersecurity as an IT-only problem
  Cybersecurity is everyone’s business – and people play the biggest part 

• Thou shalt not assume awareness = behaviour change
  Knowing the rules isn’t the same as following them – engagement needs reinforcement 

• Thou shalt not communicate in silos
  When IT, HR and comms aren’t aligned, chaos and confusion reign, so work together to create consistent, joined-up messaging 

• Thou shalt not constrain cybersecurity to work-life
  Personal devices and habits can put work systems at risk. Your people need to stay alert – wherever they are. 

Execution errors 

Great plans fail without great delivery. When you’re clear on what you’re communicating, take the time to consider your audience and their needs: 

• Thou shalt not use too much jargon
  If your message is too technical, it won’t land. Keep it simple and always include context 

• Thou shalt not spray information generically
  One-size-fits-all won’t work. Different audiences need different formats, so tailor messaging to each team’s specific tasks, tools and threats 

• Thou shalt not take a ‘one and done’ approach
  Behaviour change needs repetition. Build a drumbeat of timely, relevant content. 

AI atrocities to avoid 

The newest, smartest and shiniest AI tools can help keep your systems safe and improve your approach to cyber communications … but they can also be misused. If you’re all aboard the AI train, keep these commandments front of mind: 

• Thou shalt not blindly trust AI for insights and tone
  Generative tools can misfire. Always have human oversight for nuance and accuracy 

• Thou shalt not ignore the data privacy risks of generative AI
  Uploading sensitive information? Make sure your tools meet information security standards 

• Thou shalt not bring-your-own-AI
  New tools can introduce risks, so always get approval before adding anything new to your tech stack. 

Want to protect your people from cyber threats? 

Start with these bad habits and how to avoid them. If you’d like help setting these commandments in stone, we’re ready when you are.