Security onboarding: An interview study on security training for temporary employees

After being placed into a position, it is common for new employees to be acclimated to an organization's culture, rules, and procedures via a process called onboarding. These processes are critical to ensure that employees become valuable assets to an organization and abide by organizational rules and procedures. In this research study, we interviewed senior undergraduate students who had recently completed internships to determine what, if any, onboarding process they completed for their placement. Applying qualitative analysis, we find that the onboarding processes for these interns varied widely, from no onboarding at all to several extensive training sessions. Similarly, some interns reported high-level technical security training, while others reported almost no restrictions while on organizational networks. We build on our findings by providing recommendations for organizational improvements for interns, and by extension, full-time employees.