roze.ma

SUMMARY:

This panel discussion focused on innovative security awareness programs, gamification strategies, phishing simulations, and challenges posed by generative AI in cybersecurity. Participants included security leaders from various industries, discussing practical approaches to engaging employees and adapting to emerging threats, such as deepfakes and AI-assisted attacks.

OUTLINE:

1. Introduction to Security Awareness Initiatives
   • Speaker 1: Overview of annual and smaller, more frequent training (newsletters, quick lessons).
   • Speaker 2: Use of varied training mediums, like posters, videos, and interactive displays.
   • Speaker 3: New methods including gamification and social media challenges to engage different audiences.
2. Gamification in Security Training
   • Speaker 4: Importance of gamification in improving engagement.
   • Speaker 2: Example of a points-based system rewarding employees for reporting phishing attempts.
   • Speaker 1: Development of custom security games tailored to company policies.
3. Security Awareness Beyond IT Departments
   • Speaker 1: Efforts to embed security into organizational culture through phishing simulations and targeted group training.
   • Speaker 3: Using phishing results to drive security awareness in onboarding processes.
4. Engaging Non-Technical Team Members
   • Speaker 3: Employing various media (social media, physical QR codes, stickers) to reach non-technical staff.
   • Speaker 1: Extending training topics beyond work to personal security practices.
5. Addressing Challenges Posed by AI in Cybersecurity
   • Speaker 4 & 5: The rise of deepfakes and AI-assisted attacks (e.g., phishing emails, business email compromise).
   • Speaker 5: Specific case studies involving AI-driven scams.
   • Speaker 4: Discussion on securing AI technologies, including prompt injection threats and API security.
6. Measuring Effectiveness of Security Programs
   • Speaker 3: KPI-based approach to measuring the success of phishing tests (response times, compromised credentials).
   • Speaker 1: Using phishing metrics, year-over-year comparisons, and contractor inclusion to track improvements.
7. Responding to Generative AI Threats
   • Panel discussion: Concerns about deepfakes, voice impersonation, and the future of AI in cybersecurity.
   • Speaker 4: AI lowers the barrier to entry for criminals, posing a significant threat to organizations.
8. Future-Proofing Security Awareness Programs
   • Speaker 4: Adapting programs to handle AI-related risks and the need for continuous innovation in security awareness training.
   • Discussion on repeat offenders and the importance of leadership involvement.
9. Questions and Answers
   • Audience Questions: Addressing AI security, phishing campaign effectiveness, and handling repeat phishing offenders.

IDEAS:

1. Introduce gamification to security awareness programs to increase engagement across diverse employee groups.
2. Vary training mediums (posters, social media challenges, newsletters) to reach non-technical team members.
3. Create custom phishing simulations targeting specific departments, such as finance or accounts payable, to reflect real-world threats.
4. Measure program success through key performance indicators (KPIs) like response time to phishing attempts.
5. Embed security awareness into the corporate culture by involving leadership in training and monitoring.
6. Use phishing simulation results to inform new onboarding processes for improved security integration.
7. Make security training relevant to employees’ personal lives to foster better adoption of security practices.
8. Leverage third-party vendors to introduce innovative training techniques tailored to different employee demographics.
9. Use deepfakes and AI-driven attacks as case studies in security training to raise awareness of evolving threats.
10. Employ a rotating passphrase or challenge key to verify authenticity during sensitive communications (to counter deepfakes).
11. Address repeat offenders of phishing simulations by involving senior leadership and assigning additional training.
12. Incorporate lessons on spotting phishing attacks related to emerging technologies (e.g., QR code phishing).
13. Create localized training content that reflects the specific risks and cultural differences of global teams.
14. Foster a “pull” approach where employees voluntarily seek out training resources for specific security concerns.
15. Adapt security training in response to emerging AI-based threats, particularly focusing on personal data protection.
16. Collaborate with law enforcement and cyber command centers to raise awareness of regional cybercrime trends.
17. Develop AI security measures that include threat modeling and risk assessment using frameworks like NIST’s AI RMF.
18. Increase training frequency in response to shifting attack vectors, especially with hybrid and remote working conditions.
19. Use gamification not only as a training tool but also as a method to reward security-conscious behavior in the organization.
20. Implement prompt injection defenses and continuous monitoring for AI systems integrated into business processes.

QUOTES:

1. “We’re trying to do more smaller training throughout the year—could be a newsletter or a quick link off of it.”
2. “It’s important to vary what we do—not always computer-based training, but posters and even store screens.”
3. “We’re gamifying security awareness with social media challenges and prizes to engage younger, tech-savvy staff.”
4. “Gamification can drive deeper engagement, especially for those who don’t respond to traditional computer-based training.”
5. “We saw massive improvements in phishing reporting after introducing points and rewards for malicious email detection.”
6. “Security has to be part of the culture, starting from leadership all the way down.”
7. “When senior leadership sees that in under 2 minutes their credentials were compromised, they start to care about security.”
8. “Deepfakes are so convincing; victims genuinely believe they’re talking to a celebrity. It’s a whole new level of scam.”
9. “AI opens doors for criminals who don’t want to get caught on the street. Now, they can scam from behind a computer.”
10. “With AI-generated phishing attacks, even the most tech-savvy employees need to relearn how to spot them.”

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Incorporate gamification in security training to boost engagement across diverse employee groups.
2. Target phishing simulations to high-risk groups like accounts payable to address business email compromise threats.
3. Use senior leadership metrics in phishing campaigns to foster a security-first culture within the organization.
4. Regularly adapt security awareness programs to reflect current threats, such as deepfakes and AI-assisted scams.
5. Offer tangible rewards (points, gift cards) for employees reporting phishing attempts to increase proactive engagement.
6. Ensure that security training is accessible and relevant to non-technical employees by focusing on real-life applications.
7. Provide repeat offenders of phishing simulations with extra training and bring attention to senior management if necessary.
8. Incorporate prompt injection defenses and continuous monitoring in AI-based systems.
9. Utilize custom-built phishing templates that reflect real-time, location-specific threats for better training accuracy.
10. Engage employees with hybrid security measures, such as offering both online and in-person awareness sessions.

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:

Security awareness programs are evolving to tackle AI-driven threats, with gamification and adaptive training critical to engaging diverse workforces.