Cyber threats today are not just an I.T. issue. They have evolved into something that affects people. Organizations now depend upon their employees, partners, and digital systems to run an organization more so than ever before.
Regardless of the quality of security technology, if the employee does not understand cyber risks and their impact on the business, security technology can be rendered useless. So it is evident that creating a culture of cybersecurity is a high priority for organizations today.
An organization with a strong culture will have staff who participate in protecting the company’s data from potential threats, as well as assist them in identifying such threats, and finally will follow appropriate security practices to minimize risks.
A culture of cybersecurity is a mindset found in an organization where all employees, no matter their level, share a common responsibility for protecting the organization’s digital assets and preventing cyber threats.
In a security culture:
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), organizations that have established security awareness as part of their work culture experience a demonstrably lower rate of security-related incidents than those without such a cultural framework.
Most cybersecurity incidents are caused by human error, for example: clicking on a phishing link or creating a weak password. Based on the information provided in Verizon’s “Data Breach Investigations Report”, phishing & social engineering attacks continue to be among the top causes globally for breaches. Therefore, creating culture in organizations around cybersecurity is critical because when your employees have been trained/educated about cyber threats, they will be your first line of defense from cyber attacks.
There is an assumption that developing a culture of cybersecurity is a responsibility of the IT department. However, developing a culture of cybersecurity needs to involve the entire organization.
The senior leadership in an organization helps to set the tone for the priority of security. As executives promote cybersecurity initiatives, employees begin to take security policies and procedures seriously.
The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) manages the strategy and awareness of cybersecurity for an organization’s team. As such, the CISO is responsible for ensuring the organization implements secure practices.
As security professionals, IT and security teams deploy tools, monitor for threats, and provide educational training programs for their business.
Every employee should understand their role and responsibility in supporting a culture of cybersecurity. Even if an employee takes a small step, such as reporting a suspicious email, such an act could ultimately save an organization from a catastrophic breach.
Organizations often use security awareness platforms such as Threatcop to train employees and simulate phishing attacks.
Building a strong culture of cybersecurity requires a combination of leadership commitment, employee training, and continuous awareness initiatives.
Below are some proven strategies organizations can adopt.
One-time cybersecurity training is simply not enough. Employees need to be trained at regular intervals to stay abreast of any new developments in relation to evolving cyber threats.
Organizations can explore cybersecurity insights and training resources through the Threatcop blog.
A strong security culture is created when an organization’s employees take an active role in protecting the organization.
Encouraging employees to:
Beyond just encouraging, rewarding employees for engaging in good security practices will also increase their level of participation.
Leadership involvement is crucial in building a culture in organizations.
Executives should:
When leadership establishes an organization’s priority for cybersecurity, it becomes ingrained into how the organization functions on a daily basis.
Phishing is still one of the most utilized tools that cybercriminals use. Conducting phishing simulation exercises will help employees learn how to detect false emails in a safe and effective manner.
Additionally, by carrying out phishing simulations, organizations will be able to use the simulations to measure the employees’ level of awareness, as well as identify those individuals with a high-risk profile.
Cybersecurity should not be treated as a separate process. Instead, it should be integrated into daily workflows such as:
When security practices become routine, organizations naturally develop a stronger culture of cybersecurity.
Organizations that invest in building a culture of cybersecurity gain several advantages:
Cybersecurity is not only a matter of using new technology but also how you integrate that technology into an organization by having employees engaged with the company being secure. Organizations have to have employee education programs and have their senior management support the program and have ongoing awareness to have a strong culture of cybersecurity. Organizations that support a culture of cybersecurity are more prepared for evolving cyber threats and will be able to maintain their customer and partner relationships.
Culture in relation to cyber security means providing an environment for workers to continuously engage in good security behaviours and to support their company by contributing to the overall security of its systems and data.
The cyber security culture of an organisation is the result of contributions made by the leaders, CISO, IT teams etc. and all employees throughout the entire organisation.
A strong cyber security culture will develop when the organisation trains its workers on an ongoing basis, conducts phishing testing, encourages reporting of security breaches, and integrates cyber security into day-to-day operations.
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