IIE recognized among the most advanced security awareness and anti-phishing programs across the nation
New York, October 26, 2021 — The Institute of International Education (IIE) was recently named the winner of the 2021 Engagement Award during the Infosec Inspire Security Awareness Awards, recognizing exceptional security awareness and training programs across the nation. The Engagement Award is a salute to the most engaging and influential security awareness training programs that go “outside of the box” to harness the power of creativity, learner engagement or gamification to drive lasting behavioral change. The recognition highlights the efforts of IIE to bolster a culture of security and empower employees to stay cyber safe at work and home.
IIE’s Director of Information Security and Compliance, Shannon McPherson, said “By employing a diverse portfolio of transparent educational resources, enforceable security governance and compassion for our people, our initial seeds of security cultural transformation have bloomed within the span of less than 2 years. While security leaders have miles to go before we sleep (via continuous process improvement), IIE proudly identifies as a security-conscious organization in a habitually vulnerable industry. Operating largely within the borderless cyber domain, we continue to transcend traditional boundaries of land, air and sea to promote cultural diversity and understanding through our programs. IIE’s mission weaves a sophisticated patchwork of people, places and experiences – the human element of our commitment to data protection securely stitches every masterpiece together.”
As the largest, global non-profit organization for international education, IIE knows the importance of protecting the personal information of its more than 29,000 students and scholars across the world. IIE’s security awareness program is uniquely cultivated to engage employees, celebrate successes and transform IIE’s security culture. Since launching its revamped security awareness and phishing program two years ago, IIE increased its phishing pass rate from 75% to 94%, with employees’ suspicious email reporting following the same trend. More importantly, they also assessed and strengthened their cybersecurity culture. Using Infosec IQ’s Cybersecurity Culture Survey, designed to gauge employees’ attitudes and perceptions towards cybersecurity, they reported high marks in all five cultural domains — confidence, responsibility, engagement, trust and outcomes.
“Reading IIE’s success story and seeing the impact of their training programs on their overall security posture — and more importantly, culture — was seriously impressive. We’re proud to recognize IIE as both a leader and inspiration for every member of our cybersecurity community,” said Jack Koziol, CEO and founder of Infosec.
The award was announced during the Inspire Awards ceremony held on October 19, 2021, during the Infosec Inspire Virtual User Conference. The only event of its kind, Inspire is hyper-focused on building a culture of security — equipping cybersecurity leaders with knowledge and insights to develop employee cyber skills, strengthen security awareness and make a lasting impact.
Learn more about the Institute of International Education’s security awareness program here.
About Institute of International Education
Established in 1919, IIE is a global not-for-profit that creates and implements international education programs, conducts research, and provides life-changing opportunities for students and scholars worldwide. IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training and leadership development programs. IIE has a network of 17 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,450 member institutions. Visit iie.org.
About Infosec
Infosec is the leading cybersecurity education company helping IT and security professionals advance their careers and empowering employees to be cyber-safe at work and home. Its mission is to equip individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills to outsmart cybercrime confidently. More than 70% of the Fortune 500 have relied on Infosec Skills to develop their security talent and teams, and over five million learners worldwide are more cyber-resilient from Infosec IQ’s security awareness and phishing training. Follow Infosec on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Infosec’s Resources Blog for the latest news, or visit infosecinstitute.com for more information.
Contacts
Public Affairs