Philosophical and Operational Significance of Security Awareness Programmes

• NCJ Number: 210628
• Journal: Acta Criminologica Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: 2005 Pages: 34-43
• Author(s): K. Pillay
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa
• Note: To access the full text PDF: 1) select the provided HTML link; 2) from the Acta Criminologica Web site, select “Table of Contents”; 3) select the corresponding Volume and Issue (see the NCJRS abstract record for the exact Volume and Issue); 4) scroll the Table of Contents to the exact article; 5) click on the “full text” icon.

Annotation

This article underscores the importance of security awareness programs for employees and reviews the literature on the various aspects of security awareness programming.

Abstract

Despite a high incidence of employee theft, a review of the pertinent literature has revealed that security managers in the corporate environment are not communicating security awareness to employees. The author argues that, first, an effective corporate security policy is a fundamental component of proactive security management and, second, that the security policy should be communicated to employees via security awareness programs offered throughout the organization. The definition of security awareness is derived from the literature and the range, purpose, and objectives of security awareness programs are discussed. The requirements for security awareness programs generally include the two related components of awareness and training, where awareness involves the education of employees regarding security policies and the training involves a more in-depth level of understanding. The author reviews the impediments to the effective implementation of security awareness programs in corporate settings as well as effective implementation strategies for security awareness training programs. The article underscores the importance of also including suppliers and contractors within the security policy, at least insofar as to require an agreement providing for penalties if caught stealing. Bibliography