CREST, a global community of cyber security businesses and people, has launched a practice guide that aims to improve how governments deliver cyber security awareness.
The guide sets out a five-step, data driven planning process to target specific audiences based on aspects such as their region, language, the digital platforms and devices that they use.
Rowland Johnson, president of CREST says: “In today’s complex marketplace with the rise of digital platforms and an increasingly diverse and remote workforce, it is more difficult than ever before to create cyber security awareness. Research shows that cyber security awareness is far more successful when the message is targeted at the right people, in the right way. Our new guide provides advice on how to do this.”
Created by Engage Digital Partners, the aim of the guide is to help readers to better target what digital platforms can best be used for creating awareness and engaging with people what’s relevant. For example, the report’s research found that areas such as Pakistan are more likely to use TikTok, whereas Facebook is most popular in Ethiopia.
CREST stresses the need for cyber security awareness to be more widely taught and more accessible. The body sees a particular urgency for some countries, for example, where people are getting access to online backing for the first time or those experience higher rates of cyber-attack. The research found that traditional media for creating cyber awareness don’t meet today’s needs. Hence, CREST says, it is essential governments inform and continually educate the online community to act to remain safe.
Gregg Oldfield, CEO of Engage Digital Partners, pictured, says: “Community engagement needs to be an authentic and trusted ongoing dialogue with the community itself. Key here is the value of trust. Trusting the message is one of the most important things to achieve because it leads to a sense of belonging. The more campaigns can be localized, the better. If people hear things from their own community and influencers and creators within it, they are far more likely to believe it.
“Pretty much everything has moved to digital platforms in these emerging markets and social media has huge influence over the younger generation. Getting it right is all about making sure the messages are delivered to the right audience at the right time. It has to be compelling and concise to ensure they want to engage with it.”
CREST received a US$1.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2020 to help in-crease cyber security capacity and resilience in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania and Uganda. The free guide, with the good practice guides produced as part of this work, is available to download via www.crest-approved.org/knowledge-hub/research-reports/.
