This past week I saw something uplifting in my social network feed.  A friend, who works for a small IT firm in Virginia, posted a picture of a little treat she received.  It was chocolate in the shape of a carrot with a note attached.  It was from her internal IT team and it read, “Thanks for running your Windows Updates every week.”  The note included a screenshot to show additional updates she could run from the Windows system tray.

Positive reinforcement works in any area—even cyber security.  Clearly her IT team recognizes the importance of end-user security and found a way to deliver that information outside of the usual methods.

Her post to social media indicated that she would be happy to continue updating her computer!

Security awareness doesn’t always have to take the form of videos, newsletters, or posters.  If you’re looking for a no-tech and low-cost reinforcement technique, try a carrot.