Data Security

Business Purpose

Turn employees into security advocates by increasing awareness of data security best practices and experiencing the consequences of not following security guidelines.

Target Audience

All employees, regardless of role and regardless of previous knowledge. 

Training Time

10 minutes 

Training Recommendation

One eLearning course. Course will have a storyline following a fictional employee through his first week as an Accounts Payable associate for ABC Company. He will encounter multiple attempts by a hacker trying to gain access to the company’s network. The learner will have to choose the right course of action at each inflection point. Further information on each topic will be provided by job aids viewable by clicking for more info during the course.

Deliverables  

One eLearning course developed in Articulate Storyline 360. Includes 2 mini scenarios illustrating 2 different types of hacker attacks, includes 2 characters (the main character employee and the hacker), music and voiceover narration, an assessment with four questions and a final score, and summary.

Learning Objectives 

Learners will be able to…

1)    Define and recognize a phishing attempt

2)    Identify 2 ways hackers gain access to company data 

3)    Name 3 actions you must take to keep your mobile devices safe 

I designed and developed this learning experience in order to showcase my instructional design and development skills in Articulate Storyline 360. I selected a subject that is both timely and universally relevant across the corporate spectrum. Then I identified the problem I wanted the instruction to solve (employees being the weakest link in corporate data security). I knew I wanted to use a story-style approach with characters and scenarios, in order to draw the learner in and allow them to connect with the content.

Action Map

After researching the topic, I identified the key actions that minimize data security risk at the employee level. With these actions laid out and the most important actions identified, the decision points for the scenario became clear.

Text-based Storyboard

After identifying the key actions to focus on, I crafted a realistic story around the actions and developed the storyboard in Microsoft Word. I decided to focus the story on a new employee who would have to navigate his first week on the job with minimal guidance. He would face challenges, and the learner would have to choose the course of action.

With the learner driving the scenario, the character would experience the resulting consequences of each choice. The learner would be primed by the scenario just experienced to find out more about the topic at hand. Additional information would be provided at the end of each mini-scenario, allowing the learner to expand their knowledge on the topic. 

Interactive Prototype

Once the text-based storyboard was complete, I used Storyline 360 to develop a prototype and began gathering media assets to be used in the project.

By creating a prototype for each project, I enable stakeholders to review and give feedback on the functionality, look, and feel of the project early in the timeline. Then I can quickly iterate based on their feedback, so that the design and functionality are approved prior to full development. Bringing the project to life from that point is a relatively seamless process.

Results and Takeaways

I designed this project with both user engagement and instructional value in mind. The documentary film style intro, high-tech vibe, and playful graphic novel approach using a relatable main character were all crafted to draw the learner into the story and raise the stakes on the decisions that would follow. Keeping learners engaged and curious throughout the training and allowing them to experience the consequences of their choices translates directly into better decision making on the job, in this case turning bystanders into security advocates, and shoring up the weakest point in most organizations’ data security plan: the employees.

Through this project I deepened my experience with Storyline features, such as the timeline, triggers, custom freeform interactions, audio and video editing, animations, finding A/V assets in Content Library 360 and on third-party sites, as well as researching and organizing content into a cohesive course.

Going forward, I hope to apply my skills and experience to other projects where the focus is on improving performance through well-designed, engaging learning experiences.