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it-sa Expo & Congress 2026 | October 27–29, 2026
it-sa Expo & Congress 2026 | October 27–29, 2026
Education of the mind without education of the heart is no education at all. Aristoteles
Katja Jensen
Education for the mind, without education
for the heart, is not education at all.
Aristotle
We are delighted to present a very special project: the 'Spürnasen' magazine Spürnase can be translated as “a keen nose” or “a nose for something”). We have invited the founder of this unique initiative, Mr. Fauth - a proven expert in the field of information security and data protection.
The interview focuses on topics such as loyalty, protection, attention and the decisive instinct that characterize the magazine and form the basis for Mr. Fauth's exciting work.
Read on to find out more about the Spürnasen magazine and the vision behind.
Interview Heiko Fauth
Interview Heiko Fauth
Heiko Fauth
My name is Heiko Fauth, I am 53 years old and was a police officer for 22 years. During the last six years of my police service, I worked half as an IT security officer for the Stuttgart Police Headquarters (50% of my time) and as an IT baseline protection auditor for the State Criminal Police Office of Baden-Württemberg (the other 50%).
After leaving the police in 2013, I became self-employed as a consultant for information security, auditor, speaker, and data protection officer. I have now been working in these fields for over 17 years. I advise small and medium-sized businesses as well as large corporations across various industries. Additionally, I serve as an external information security officer and data protection officer and have over 10 years of experience as a BSI auditor.
Heiko Fauth
Since we founded our own sanctuary for wild stray dogs in Transylvania four years ago, we have gained a wealth of experience in how dogs communicate and the incredible abilities they possess, especially in the areas of instinct and intuition.
Moreover, we have been able to observe the positive effect that animals can have on people, often triggering deep emotions. When people then realize the incredible senses these animals possess and their remarkable protective instinct, it sparks curiosity and interest, making them eager to learn more.
This very openness, curiosity, and keen senses are of great relevance today, especially in the context of security-related topics.
Heiko Fauth
Dogs are the epitome of protection, attentiveness, good instincts and loyalty. In today's world, these are very important aspects that we as humans also need to cultivate. Despite all the technical solutions in IT security, people are repeatedly targeted and often chosen as the supposedly 'easy victim'.
Heiko Fauth
In my time as an auditor, I was able to accompany many companies and authorities over many years and observe the effect that awareness programs, online training, face-to-face training and much more - everything that the market has to offer - has on people.
In my opinion there are many excellent tools maximizing multimedia and pedagogical potential. Unfortunately, my findings during auditor assessments were often shocking, with key figures being consistently disappointing.
As a result, I delved deeper into the analysis to understand the reasons behind this and naturally came across psychological aspects. Just as the marketing world has recognized that it’s not just about a glossy, multimedia presentation of a product but rather about conveying emotions.
And when you look at social media, it's easy to see why millions of people watch "dog and cat videos" every day, for example. It's not just about serving the intellect, but using emotions to create a deep connection to the subject itself. If this is then combined with simply communicated specialist knowledge, I believe this is the most promising approach.
Heiko Fauth
The combination of not just having to engage with the topic of security, but also experiencing a holistic awareness approach in an emotional way—while at the same time feeling good about contributing to something meaningful—offers a completely new approach. This is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s world. People are searching for purpose in what they do, and in this context, that purpose is clearly recognizable.
Heiko Fauth
At first, I was quite skeptical about how IT managers or HR directors would react. However, I was all the more surprised by how open and engaged their responses were—especially because this approach is something completely new in this context.
The combination of beautiful images—providing an emotionally positive aspect—together with the necessary learning content is perceived as very engaging and meaningful. This is especially true because it ultimately serves a good cause.
We have also considered offering exciting prizes to further strengthen engagement, giving people the opportunity to personally visit the project and meet the animals featured in the photos on-site.
This further intensifies the emotional connection to the topic in a significant way, framing it in a positive light rather than solely as a threat or risk.
There are dedicated online group channels that frequently share updates about the animals in the sanctuary, as well as targeted insights on security topics. Additionally, there are opportunities for fundraising campaigns, which can also be organized among employees. This fosters close involvement, allowing people to directly see the impact of their meaningful contributions.
There is even the possibility of adopting some of the well-known dogs featured in the magazine. This way, the theme of keen senses and security is continuously addressed on multiple levels, making it highly sustainable in its impact.
Heiko Fauth
This also fosters a strong bond among employees, positively impacting the work environment and communication. People easily engage in conversations through the topic of animals, as starting a discussion about them is very natural—even for those who might usually struggle with social interactions.
Heiko Fauth
Since dogs are known to have a 'sixth sense' when it comes to people's true intentions, they have often been able to alert us in advance to new ‘false’ friends, signaling that caution was needed. In the end, they were never wrong.
Dogs can sense people's true intentions and instinctively know whether someone is genuine or playing a deceptive game.
Heiko Fauth
Every month there is a test that is to be completed online by employees using a multiple-choice random questionnaire. In this test, specific questions are ordered, on the one hand about the learning content, and on the other hand about specific things that can only be answered by reading the magazine and not through existing knowledge.
As interesting non-cash prizes directly related to the Sanctuary are raffled off every month/quarter, this creates a further emotional bond and keeps motivation high.
Additionally, the impact of the Spürnasen Magazine on employees can be easily measured using standard key metrics, just like in any audit. This includes random sampling, phishing simulations, and other available assessment methods.
Heiko Fauth
That technology alone cannot be relied upon, and more than ever, employees should trust their intuition. This is especially crucial as phishing attacks and other methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it harder to detect threats through logic alone.
Heiko Fauth
The strengthening and integration of emotions and intuition in everyday life—going far beyond just security awareness. Through the Spürnasen Magazine, it becomes possible to associate security with a positive approach, rather than constantly perceiving it as a looming threat or a warning finger raised above.
It's about fostering a greater sense of purpose, even in everyday matters, and cultivating more empathy for living beings that haven’t been as fortunate in life. The goal is to shift the focus from 'I' to 'WE'.
We would like to sincerely thank you for your time and openness in sharing insights into your work and thoughts. Your perspectives and experiences have made this conversation truly special and will surely inspire many.
All images are original and taken at the sanctuary by photographers Katja Jensen and Maja Kusche.
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Visit us from October 7-9, 2025 in Nuremberg at it-sa!
📍 Hall 7 | Booth 316
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