True empathy requires that you step outside your own emotions to view things entirely from the perspective of the other person.” Reject the idea that end users are the weakest security link. Rather, think of them as your front line of defense. Start the foundation of creating a strong culture of security within your organization by treating end users with respect, dignity, and empathy. Security professionals need to utilize soft skills, in addition to technical tools, to empower the end users to prepare them against phishing and other social engineering attacks. Based on a library science technique that has been adapted for Information Security professionals, this talk will illustrate how changing the way you interact with end users can make for a better security atmosphere.
Tracy Z. Maleeff, @InfoSecSherpa, is a GSEC certified Information Security professional. Before InfoSec, Tracy worked as a librarian in academic, corporate, and private law firm libraries. A Fellow of the Special Libraries Association, Tracy received the Dow Jones Innovate Award and the Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Innovations in Law Librarianship Award. Tracy holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as undergraduate degrees from both Temple University (magna cum laude), and the Pennsylvania State University.