End user education

[lonervamp at gmail.com (Michael Dickey)]

Unfortunately, we can't explain personal risk to people who drive on our
public roads. And they have a clear vested interest in safety and the
ability to understand the consequences.* Let alone attesting for individual
risk acceptances and personal choices at work or at home on their computer
systems or dealing with customer data...and the highly complex, technical,
and ephemeral topic of digital security. (Which many of *us* can't even
agree upon what is FUD and what is realistic and what ALE should be and best
practices are and whether China is involved...)

In addition, concepts taught in user education only last so long as their
own workplace convenience is not impacted or it is mandated in their job
description/evaluation/employment status. At home, it only lasts as long as
they can do it themselves quickly. And how many people are educated on
changing their own oil or tires? Or hell, their own wiper blades?

Taking a slightly different tack, I believe in a healthy mix of all the
things that come up over time as discussion points. User education has a
place, I just wouldn't want to place my bets on it being as impactful as
other approaches (to throw it out: 85% technlogical controls, 15%
education). There are times it works, such as small group education; those
that truly do hunger for the knowledge; have even more vested interest like
C-levels, IT directors, and so on. But I consider all of that to be
"microscopic" education; i.e. small group or consultant types of
roles...people who are discretely paying money for the exchange.

Holy hell the keyboard I'm typing on is horrid...I hope that's maple syrup
undr th keys...

* Yes, you can say that if we stopped driver education, we'd be far
worse...but we certainly have a huge share of non-weather, non-mechanical,
non-freak incidents on the roads...
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