🔥 Launching today: Discernible Drills - our new weekly security/privacy communication training delivered via Slack!

Based on 20 years of experience in, this new service helps security and privacy professionals practice communication skills through weekly 60-minute drills.

- Covers 12 different incident types
- Text-based with multimedia elements for auditory learners
- No PO required - individual subscriptions
- Currently runs Wednesdays 12-1pm ET with more times coming soon
- Two tiers: $50/mo or $100/mo

Security incidents are more than breaches, and communication is more than media statements. Practice makes perfect.

Learn more at https://discernibleinc.com/blog/introducing-discernible-drills

#InfoSec #SecurityCommunications #CyberSecurity #PrivacyCommunications #IncidentResponse

There is a dangerous misunderstanding among creative services firms & consultants that simplifying legal language means losing specificity, especially when it comes to privacy.

People deserve to know what's happening with their personal data, so abstracting legal concepts so much that the language is imprecise means they still don't get the information they need.

Speaking plainly & simply doesn't mean avoiding details. It means explaining them in such a way that someone who isn't a lawyer could accurately explain them back to you.

In other news, designing a website wireframe & writing copy about privacy are different skills.

#PrivacyCommunications

Got questions?

Submit them anonymously through our blog & we’ll publish the answers in a future post.

https://discernibleinc.com/blog

#SecurityCommunications
#PrivacyCommunications

Strong advisors and collaborative cross-functional peers play an important role in how we approach security and privacy communication challenges.

Communications may be the hub, but every discipline we touch contributes a spoke to the wheel.

Thank you Jess & Zach for celebrating our 4-year anniversary with us this week!

#SecurityCommunications
#PrivacyCommunications

Since launching in 2020, we've helped dozens of security and privacy teams find their voice & use it effectively to make technology safer for everyone!

Thank you to all our clients, team members, partners, and supporters! 🎉 🎉 🎉

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications #ProactiveCommunications #Influence

The story of Cassandra from Greek mythology is a common analogy among cybersecurity and privacy professionals who get frustrated when their advice doesn't break through.

But are we sure that advice was effectively communicated to begin with?

Read the full blog post from CEO @Wednesday: https://discernibleinc.com/blog/why-no-one-listens-to-cassandra

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications

What is a security or privacy incident, exactly? Does it always include a breach or PII?

In one of our most popular blog posts of all time, CEO @Wednesday explains why it's important for incident response planning to consider all the ways in which a company might face public scrutiny over security or privacy issues, even if there isn't a reportable or material breach.

"The greatest damage is caused by the sleeping giants that don’t receive communications attention until it’s too late. High-frequency incidents have a greater potential to create a snowball effect in regards to public perception."

#IncidentResponse #SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications

https://discernibleinc.com/blog/what-is-a-security-or-privacy-incident-hiccups-fck-ups-and-give-ups

What are your 2024 security communication priorities?

Here's what we're working on with many of our new clients this year:

1) Upgrade IR comms into proactive programs that help avoid or improve the impact of incidents on customer trust and brand reputation
2) Build/complete/update Trust Centers to demonstrate meaningful security investments BEFORE an incident
3) Message testing (doesn't matter if you like certain words if they don't resonate with your intended audience or if they trigger energy-sucking critics)

#IncidentResponse #SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications

https://discernibleinc.com/blog/my-top-takeaways-from-2023-and-your-resolutions-for-2024

Are you subscribed to our monthly newsletter?

Sign up to receive insights on current security and privacy communication issues, scholarship, and research.

This month we covered:

✅ Truthfulness in incident communications
✅ How relationships communicate more than words
✅ How message fatigue and audience interest impact the persuasiveness of security and privacy teams
✅ Alternatives to outdated militaristic analogies courtesy of @shortridge's new book

You won't receive any marketing spam from us -- your email address is used only to send you the newsletter each month.

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications #CommunicationResearch

https://discernibleinc.com/newsletter-signup

Got questions about security, privacy, and risk communications? Ask our experts for free!

Anonymously submit your questions to be answered in a future #MailBag blog post.

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications #RiskCommunications

https://discernibleinc.com/blog

Got a question for our experts?

Submit it anonymously to our MailBag and we’ll answer it in a future blog post!

https://discernibleinc.com/blog

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications

Sometimes you need experts.

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications #RiskCommunications
#infosec
#privacy

🤩 Due to popular demand, we've added more times to our Monday Trainings by making them bite-sized 1-hour sessions. Now, every training is available every week!

✅ Communicating Succinctly
✅ Cross-Functional Communication & Negotiation
✅ Team Decision Making
✅ Media Training

1x1 sessions are also available or you can schedule a private workshops for your team by reaching out to us through our website. Our team workshops are offered virtually or in-person (great for team off-sites).

https://discernibleinc.com/trainings-consultations

We're also adding new trainings in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for details!

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications #BusinessCommunications #Training #privacy #infosec

Join our mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter.

In each issue, you’ll receive:

🧠 Perspectives on the current privacy and security communications landscape from Discernible founder Melanie Ensign

🧠 Compelling information about communications theory

🧠 The latest in communications research

🧠 Our favorite podcast episode of the month

🧠 Spotlights on diversity, inclusion, and equity nonprofits serving the technology industry

If this sounds like something you’d like in your inbox once a month, sign up below!

We respect your privacy and autonomy over your data. We only use this information to send you Discernible’s monthly newsletter. Nothing else.

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications #CommunicationsResearch #StrategicCommunications

https://discernibleinc.com/newsletter-signup

Following her recent interview with @privacyguru for the Shifting Privacy Left podcast, Discernible CEO @Wednesday digs deeper into earning trust with technical communications.

"Learning how to effectively articulate those programs proactively is critical to not only becoming the enterprise you aspire to be through partnership with cross-functional teams, but also to ensure that the stories you tell externally are accurate, enabling your stakeholders to consider giving you benefit of the doubt when you need it. That’s trust."

#Privacy #PrivacyCommunications #TechnicalCommunications #Trust

https://discernibleinc.com/blog/ceo-interview-communication-tips-for-privacy-technologists

🎉 Celebrating another milestone!

#SecurityCommunications #Infosec #PrivacyCommunications #Privacy

For all the "thought leadership" content created about trust and ongoing branding/marketing/PR investments intended to build it, it appears many organizations still don't know if they actually have it (Spoiler: they usually don't). #MeasurementFail

PwC recently assessed the role and importance of trust in business with a survey of 500 business executives, 2,508 consumers, and 2,012 employees conducted Feb.17-23, 2023.

Key Findings:
— 91% of business executives said their ability to build and maintain trust improves the bottom line.
— 46% of employees whose company had a trust-damaging event in the last year said they expected the event.
— 79% of consumers said protecting their data is very important to building trust.
— 84% of business executives said they think that customers highly trusted the company, yet only 27% of customers said the same. 
— 79% of business executives said their employees trust the company, but only 65% of employees agreed.

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications #Trust #Privacy #infosec #measurement

https://www.pwc.com/us/trust2023

All team members have psychological, often unspoken, contracts with their organizations.

If an employer appears to fall short in delivering on their commitments, an employee may perceive a breach of that mental agreement, impacting employee attitudes and behavior.

Scholars from the University of Amsterdam and the London Business School looked at the impact of ongoing organizational changes such as downsizing, restructuring, and reengineering on employees' psychological contracts.

Their research reveals unique triggers involved in these breaches, which build up pressure until a threshold is surpassed. The study highlights the importance of managers learning how to de-escalate the accumulation of triggers for their team members.

Read the full report: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/job.2645

Sign up for our newsletter and receive more insights from contemporary communication research: https://discernibleinc.com/newsletter-signup

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications #CommunicationsResearch #Leadership

Being succinct is a critical skill for #infosec and #privacy professionals communicating with business stakeholders. In this training you'll learn and practice proven techniques for quickly getting to the point.

🔥 There are only a few spots left for our next class with @Wednesday on March 13!

Sign up here: https://discernibleinc.com/workshops-consultations

#SecurityCommunications #PrivacyCommunications