Submissions Now Open for 2017 MediaPro Awareness Program Excellence Awards

BOTHELL, Wash., Sept. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today MediaPro, recognized by Gartner as a Leader in the Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Training Vendors for three consecutive years, announced the launch of its new Awareness Program Excellence Awards to recognize exemplary employee awareness initiatives.

At a time when 43 percent of breaches examined by the 2017 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) could have been prevented by knowledgeable employees, comprehensive awareness programs in the arenas of cybersecurity and data privacy are needed now more than ever. MediaPro wants to recognize those who have created such programs as leaders in security and privacy awareness which is critical in thwarting social engineering and other human-based threats.

A comprehensive awareness program is an ongoing effort to communicate security and/or privacy best practices to employees with the goal of changing risky behavior. Such programs run year-round and typically involve a variety of training delivery methods, including interactive e-Learning, games, and posters, as well as simulated phishing attacks. The content of the program is based on regular assessments of employee knowledge and on the organization's evolving risk landscape.

"Through the Awareness Program Excellence Awards, we aim to recognize companies who are already doing the right thing by employing robust, adaptive programs," Tom Pendergast, MediaPro's chief strategist for security, privacy, and compliance. "We hope that by recognizing and encouraging those companies who are taking this seriously, we will spur a broader effort to develop and maintain ongoing programs—as opposed to the once-a-year, check-the-box training that just doesn't work."

Companies who believe they have award-worthy awareness programs are invited to submit their program in the following categories:

     -     Small Organizations (fewer than 1,000 employees)
     -     Mid-Sized Organizations (1,000-10,000 employees)
     -     Enterprise (more than 10,000 employees)
     -     Non-profit or Government (any number of employees)

A panel of judges from MediaPro will assess each submission to select award-winning awareness programs using a systematic approach based on the company's collective awareness program expertise. General criteria for judging is centered around industry needs and standards, future risk mitigation, adaptiveness and responsiveness of the program, reinforcement of training principles, and overall program effectiveness.

This award program is important because security and privacy professionals have realized that simply delivering annual training is not enough to mitigate risks. Despite that, many have yet to implement a comprehensive awareness program, or one tailored to the specific threat landscape of their organization.

"An organization's awareness program should be adaptive and based on the organization's goals, culture, and capacity," said Steve Conrad, MediaPro's founder and managing director. "We're excited to see what awareness strategies and tactics risk-aware organizations are using to equip their employees with security and privacy best practices."

For more information about the 2017 MediaPro Awareness Program Excellence Awards, or to submit, please visit: www.mediapro.com/Excellence-Awards

About MediaPro
MediaPro, headquartered in Bothell, Washington, works with many Fortune 500 companies and mid-sized businesses to diminish the human-based security threat through adaptive awareness training and reinforcement programs. Over the past two decades, MediaPro has won hundreds of industry awards and is recognized by Gartner as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Training Vendors.

For more information, please visit www.mediapro.com, or follow MediaPro on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter.

SOURCE MediaPro

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