This year's InfoSec 101 theme

I've come up with a new theme for the Information Security 101  presentations, with a striking visual metaphor.  As I was picking out general-purpose security-related graphics from our stock for the slide decks, I noticed a preponderance of yellow ... which led me to think about warnings in nature (such as the yellow and black stripes of this wasp) and on the roads (driving hazards), plus the classic Red-Amber-Green traffic lights.

RAG colours are a simple visual cue, well suited to a basic induction or awareness refresher module. The concept gradually forming in my head is that we would like to get to green (as in "Go ahead, get on with the business ... safely") and, wherever possible, avoid the reds ("STOP!  Dangerous!"), so amber ("Caution: hazards") is the path trodden by the security awareness and training program. I have in mind using a few reds and greens to illustrate the range but mostly I think we'll focus on those ambers in the middle ground.  

The core message concerns vigilance, caution and situational awareness. We can't be there all the time, pointing out dangers to our colleagues, so they need to take responsibility for their own well-being - for example, hesitating and thinking twice about clicking those too-good-to-be-true offers sitting in their email inboxes and social media messaging.

We can even have a bit of fun with the roadsigns while we're at it, raise the odd laugh or wry smile maybe. Who says warning notices and awareness sessions should be dull and boring?