The top 10 skills your security awareness and culture person must have with no IT or cyber skills in sight

Security Awareness Training (SAT) began its journey as an IT function, which makes absolute sense given the topic. Over the last 10 years, SAT has evolved into a multidisciplinary role, with the knowledge, skills, and experience required now sitting outside of IT.

This is evident when you look at the most successful SAT programs and realise that IT and cybersecurity knowledge are not in the top 10.

The gold standard in 2024 is to create a security culture where behaviour is changed and people make better decisions about security. This goes way beyond the completion of training and simulated phishing exercises and requires a set of knowledge, skills, and experience that are not usually part of the IT professional's toolkit. Don’t come at us! Technical defences are doing their job exceptionally well. Humans can’t be patched, nor do they come secure.

Your speakers for this session are Jacqueline Jayne and Daisy Wong, two very experienced, knowledgeable, and successful security awareness and culture practitioners.

They will explain each of the 10 skills in detail and how they directly relate to best practices for SAT program practitioners. They will also address why IT or cybersecurity is not in the top 10.

PLUS, JJ and Daisy will share the critical elements you need to consider for your SAT programs, such as identifying the intent and desired outcomes of your SAT program and aligning the required knowledge, skills, and experience to meet those intent and desired outcomes. And yes, there will be some examples of position descriptions.

Here are 3 of the 10 skills (you will have to come to the session to see the rest!)

1. Communication
2. Collaboration
3. Stakeholder Management

You will leave this session with the knowledge required to advance your current SAT programs or start your programs on the right foot.