How to promote cybersecurity culture internally

Cybersecurity in your organisation goes beyond investment in the latest technology. It also requires dedication to inspiring and instilling a healthy culture. It has been established that poor and weak cultures can always open avenues for data breaches and the exploitation of unforeseen or hidden vulnerabilities. However, with a properly instilled culture, employees could as well become your most potent human firewall that protects your business network from cyber-attacks. Therefore, it is essential to weave the cybersecurity culture into the organisation’s policies and practices, which will place workers at the frontline in fighting cyber threats. How then can you foster such a culture and build a stronger front against hacking and other cyber threats? Here are four ways of creating a disruptive, engaging, rewarding, and fun cybersecurity culture with assured return on investment within your organisation. 

Involve everyone in the workplace 

Most organisations believe that cybersecurity is the sole responsibility of the IT department. However, having a sustainable cybersecurity culture requires instilling the perception that it is a shared responsibility. Such practices are vital because almost every employee uses the corporate network at some point, so it’s imperative to include them as a component of the company’s overall security culture and solution. 

Provide basic cybersecurity training 

Training your staff is a critical part of building an influential culture since it gets them talking about security issues and also helps in focusing on end-users, thus making it easier to cover the entire spectrum of cybersecurity. However, it is crucial to start with basic but relevant and engaging training before scaling your way up to more complex ones to weed out bad practices that may make your business vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The simple practices include policies related to passwords, mobile devices, data storage, remote network access, cyber vigilance, and response strategies. At the end of the training, implement a post-training assessment that will measure the effectiveness of the process based on some predetermined metrics. 

Streamline channels for threat reports 

Ensure that your security and IT department is approachable by other employees who may need to report incidences relating to cyber threats. The channels should be open for communication and interaction to promote honesty among employees, even when they’ve made mistakes without fear of being punished for human errors. Your security department should always be welcoming to encourage reporting of security breaches and at the same time, help in building a robust culture by helping employees gain a deeper understanding of what is expected of them. 

Reward good performance 

Always look for opportunities to celebrate your success by recognising and rewarding exemplary performance from employees. Simple rewards can go a long way in motivating employees to uphold cybersecurity standards and measures. You can even go a notch higher by making cybersecurity courses a choice within the company. Such programs offer the potential for the growth of your employees who are passionate about network security.