22 januari 2024

Effective use of framing

Awareways uses framing in communication campaigns, training and other key messages. It involves presenting information in a way that influences people’s attitudes, beliefs and behaviors regarding security. Effective framing can make messages more relatable, persuasive and actionable for the target audience. We’ll give you two examples of framing, around the use of strong passwords, that you can immediately apply yourself within your security awareness program. 

Een illustratie die laat zien dat 1 op de 3 medewerkers nooit op een phishing link klikt.

Positive versus negative framing

Communication around security can be framed positively or negatively. Positive framing focuses on the benefits and rewards of desired behavior, such as protecting information, securing confidential information and avoiding potential harm. Negative framing, on the other hand, emphasizes the risks, consequences and potential losses associated with undesirable behavior, such as data loss and reputational damage. We give an example.  

Positive framing: Strong passwords protect your accounts and personal data from unauthorized access. A strong password is like a safe that only you can open. It gives you peace of mind and ensures that your information remains secure

Negative framing: Weak passwords are an attractive target for hackers. If you use simple passwords, you risk having your accounts hacked and your personal information stolen. This can lead to financial losses, identity theft and serious implications for your privacy.

Use personalization in communication

Personalization is a powerful technique in security awareness programs because it increases the relevance of the message to individuals. People are more likely to take action when they understand how measures directly affect them. Personalization can be used by providing examples relevant to the employee’s specific job or department. For example, for a finance department, the message might read: as a finance employee, you understand the importance of protecting the financial data of company name X. A strong password is your first line of defense against fraud.

In conclusion

As far as Awareways is concerned, framing is a crucial and often underestimated factor within the effectiveness of security awareness programs. It is not only important to provide the right examples and information, but also to convey that information to the target audience in the right way.

A well-designed communication strategy that uses framing can help make the message clearer and more relevant, ultimately leading to an improved culture and more effective protection against threats. If you would like to learn more about using communication techniques contact us.

More information? Go to communication campaign or contact us.

AWAREWAYS

Euclideslaan 141 3584 BR Utrecht
+31 (0)30 227 14 67
info@awareways.com

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