October is here! Yes, it means we're only 84 days away from Christmas, but today let's talk about another celebration … October is also Cybersecurity Awareness Month. It's the time when many companies decide to shine a spotlight on this essential topic. But let's be honest: one month is not enough.
Cybersecurity awareness is not an October sprint, it's a daily practice. And realistically, asking employees to spend "10 minutes a day (or more, horror!)" on training is simply not workable. Business life rarely allows for that.
This is where the approach needs to evolve:
- Focus on content that shapes behaviors rather than long hours of training.
- Take inspiration from marketing: repeat simple, visual messages that naturally stick over time.
- Use surprise or humor, two of the most powerful cognitive triggers for memory retention (psychology studies show that surprise strongly enhances recall).
Think about it: do you remember a statistic better, or a joke that made you smile?
We don't remember Coca-Cola because we studied the brand every day. We remember it because it slipped into our daily environment effortlessly.
Why shouldn't cybersecurity do the same?
Most importantly, awareness must be a mix of content and channels. It's about daring to innovate, approaching employees differently, avoiding infantilization, and steering clear of the overly fear-based tone that too often surrounds cyber.
And yes, October also means Halloween 🎃 a holiday built around scaring everyone. But when it comes to celebrating cyber, let's try something different.
That's the spirit of the poster campaign I launched this month:
- Visuals that grab attention and break away from clichés (no padlocks or shields here).
- Messages that spark reflection without being moralizing.
- A playful twist that engages, sometimes amuses, and above all leaves a mark.
Because awareness that makes people smile is awareness they actually remember, and that's the whole point.