Cyber security is a hot topic and for good reason. With phishing, ransomware, insider threats, and supply-chain cyber attacks on the rise, organisations need every practical channel to build a lasting security culture. One often-overlooked channel is digital signage: the networked screens you see in lobbies, cafeterias, meeting rooms, and hallways. When used intentionally, digital signage is a powerful tool for cybersecurity awareness, IT security reminders, and reinforcement of security best practices across your workforce.

In this post I’ll explain how digital signage helps with IT security, offer practical content ideas, show how to avoid turning screens into security liabilities, and point you to authoritative resources you can use to build a program to effectively help prevent cyber attacks.

Why digital signage belongs in your security toolkit

Traditional security awareness programs rely on emails, training modules, and occasional town-halls. But human memory is short and attention is fragmented. The more channels that consistently reinforce key messages, especially visual and on-site channels, the better your chances of changing behaviour. Government and standards bodies recommend a mix of teaching methods for awareness programs (videos, posters, reminders at point-of-action, and short notices), and digital signage fits those recommendations perfectly. NIST explicitly notes that awareness programs should use varied teaching methods, including video and short reminder notices, to change attitudes and behaviours.

Digital signage extends your security awareness program into physical spaces where employees already spend time. A five-second message at the coffee station reminding people to lock their screens or report suspicious emails can have outsized impact when repeated daily. This approach supports broader security awareness training goals: increase vigilance about phishing, reduce shadow IT, and reinforce security hygiene like strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and safe USB/device handling. For national and organisational campaigns such as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, authorities such as CISA and the National Cyber security Centre provide toolkits and messaging that are ideal for digital signage distribution.

Concrete ways digital signage raises IT security awareness

Here are concrete, repeatable use-cases where digital signage helps your IT security posture:

1. Daily micro-reminders
Short, punchy reminders (“Don’t click unknown links”, “Use MFA — it stops 99% of automated attacks”) shown during peak footfall reinforce critical behaviours. Reminder-style content is explicitly recommended as part of awareness programs.

2. Phishing campaign alerts & examples
During simulated phishing campaigns, display anonymised examples of what to look for (red flags in email headers, suspicious shortened URLs). Follow up with quick stats: “70% of staff clicked a simulated phishing link – here’s how to report it.” This uses timely, contextual reinforcement to accelerate learning.

3. Incident reporting guidance
Display step-by-step instructions for reporting a suspected phishing email or suspected data leak (e.g., “Forward suspicious email to security@company.com and call IT at extension 1234”). Clear call-to-action reduces friction to report and helps detect incidents earlier.

4. Compliance and policy nudges
Remind staff of policy basics such as acceptable use, data handling and physical device security, especially in sensitive areas like R&D labs or finance desks. These nudges support information security policy adherence.

5. Celebrating wins
Show quick wins and leaderboards. Departments with the lowest phishing click rates or teams that completed security training. Positive reinforcement encourages participation and makes security feel like a team goal.

6. Targeted messages by location
Tailor content to the audience and location: manufacturing floors get reminders about physical device security and USB hygiene; meeting room screens can remind staff to lock devices when leaving; reception displays can show “visitor Wi-Fi is isolated from corporate networks” to reassure guests.

Digital signage ties into enterprise network security goals by improving the human layer which is historically the weakest link. Multiple industry resources and case studies highlight digital signage’s value in workplace safety and security campaigns.

Best content practices for cybersecurity digital signage

To be effective, digital signage content must be concise, credible, and repeated. Here are proven guidelines:

• Keep it short. People glance at screens for 3–10 seconds. Use single-line messages or a 10–20 second animated slide.
• Use calls-to-action. Always include what you want people to do (e.g., “Report phishing: security@…”).
• Make it visual. Use icons (padlock, shield, phishing hook) and short animations to increase retention.
• Rotate themes weekly. Run short campaigns: Week 1 — phishing; Week 2 — MFA; Week 3 — secure home working.
• Use official language and links. Pull messaging from trusted to keep content accurate and authoritative.

If you need ready-made campaign assets, many awareness vendors publish downloadable kits (e.g., CISA, KnowBe4) that are specifically built for in-office displays and digital signage. These kits include posters, short videos, and screen-ready assets that match awareness month themes.

Security-first: hardening your digital signage system

Important caveat: digital signage itself must be secure. Networked displays and content management systems (CMS) could be attack vectors if left unprotected. Reports and industry guidance emphasise that any screen connected to a network is a potential target; poor security can lead to defacement, misinformation, and reputational damage. Follow these best practices to ensure your signage is part of your security solution and not the problem:

Key technical safeguards:

• Segment signage networks. Put media players and content servers on a dedicated VLAN with restricted internet access.
• Harden media players and CMS. Change default passwords, disable unused services, apply least-privilege accounts, and enable automatic updates where possible.
• Use content signing & encryption. Ensure content is delivered over secure channels (TLS), and consider signed content to prevent tampering.
• Monitor and log. Treat signage endpoints like any other IT asset: collect logs, perform vulnerability scans, and include them in patching schedules.
• Physical security. Lock down access to players and cables; an attacker with physical access can bypass many protections.
  Industry-specific guides and vendor best-practices walk through these mitigations; use them to create a secure digital signage policy.

Measuring impact: metrics that matter

To prove ROI and refine content, measure both behavioural and operational metrics:

• Reporting rate (number of suspicious emails reported/month)
• Phishing click rate from simulated phishing campaigns
• Training completion rates (did signage nudges increase completion?)
• Incident detection time (did more reports shorten time-to-detection?)
• Employee sentiment and recall (short surveys on whether people remember signage messages)

Security awareness research (including the SANS Security Awareness reports) shows that blended approaches of combining training, phishing simulations, and continual reminders produce better long-term behaviour change. Use signage metrics alongside training and simulation results to show the program’s impact.

Sample 30/60/90 day rollout for digital signage security campaigns

30 days (pilot):

• Identify 5 high-footfall screen locations.
• Pull 3 short messages: phishing tip, MFA reminder, reporting steps.
• Harden media players and place screens on a segregated VLAN.
• Run metrics baseline for phishing simulations and reporting.

60 days (scale):

• Expand to 20 screens, introduce weekly themed campaigns.
• Add a short video loop for Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
• Integrate sign messages with HR/training reminders.
• Track lift in phishing reporting and training completions.

90 days (optimise):

• A/B test message formats (static vs. short animation).
• Share wins and leaderboards on signage to increase participation.
• Incorporate feedback and iterate content, focusing on high-impact keywords like cybersecurity awareness, phishing prevention, and security best practices.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Don’t use screens as the only channel. Signage is reinforcement, not a replacement for structured security awareness training and phishing simulations. A blended approach is best.
• Don’t show sensitive details. Never display user credentials, internal troubleshooting steps that expose system architecture, or any incident details that could help attackers.
• Don’t forget to secure the signage. As noted earlier, an unsecured CMS or player is an easy vector for attackers to spread misinformation. Harden devices and network segments.

Final checklist: launching a secure, effective signage campaign

• Get executive sponsorship and connect signage messaging to leadership priorities.
• Choose locations and audiences, tailor messages by space.
• Pull or create short, authoritative content aligned with cyber security themes
• Harden devices, segment networks, and enable logging.
• Measure impact (reporting rates, phishing click rates, training completions
• Iterate using data and employee feedback.

Digital Signage as a Screensaver: A Hidden Gem for Cybersecurity Awareness

One particularly effective way to use digital signage for cyber security promotion is by deploying corporate screensavers on networked computers and public terminals. Tools like Sabercom’s Corporate Screensaver solution offer a seamless method to turn idle screens into trusted display assets for reinforcing security awareness, reminding users of security best practices, and embedding IT security reminders into daily workflows, without requiring extra attention or disrupting productivity.

How screensaver deployment strengthens overall digital signage security goals

Using screensavers in this way plugs into the wider goals of your cybersecurity awareness and network security initiatives:

• Supports security awareness training by embedding messages in “idle time” rather than relying solely on scheduled training sessions.
• Improves phishing prevention awareness because phishing scams rely in part on overwhelming or distracting users; regular reminders via screensavers help keep the threat front-of-mind.
• Reinforces security best practices anytime a user returns to their workstation, reminding them to lock screens, use strong passwords, use MFA.
• Reduces insider risk and inadvertent exposure, particularly in open-plan offices or shared workspaces where screen exposure is a risk.

Conclusion

A digital signage solution is an inexpensive, highly visible channel that, when done correctly, amplifies cybersecurity awareness, supports security awareness training, and nudges better IT security behaviour across the organisation. It aligns with NIST and industry guidance to use multiple teaching methods, it can be supplied with official messaging from CISA and other authorities, and it produces measurable improvements when combined with phishing simulations and structured training. Just remember; secure the screens first, plan messages that are short and actionable, and measure outcomes.