How to Foster a Positive Security Culture in the Workplace

Cybersecurity is more often about the human than it is the tech. ‘All the gear but no idea’ is an easy but common mistake to make, hence why creating a positive security culture within a company is vital for maintaining strong cybersecurity. For example, you might have a beefy password policy in place but if your employee clicks on a phishing link with an even beefier virus, your efforts may go down the pan. Most of these errors are accidental, but equally, avoidable.

Let’s get started with these 6 easy steps:

1. Training and Education: Most importantly, regular cybersecurity training for all employees on the latest threats and best practices helps them to help you. This might include workshops, webinars or courses. And yes, it’s possible to do it in a way that’s not dry and mind numbing - another post on this later…

2. Foster Open Communication: Encourage employees to speak up about any potential security threats they notice and ensure they know who to report these issues to. Open communication will make it easier to identify and address threats early.

Importantly, if people make mistakes, try not to point fingers and chastise. All this will result in is people keeping their missteps covered up, and negatively impact business security.

3. Create Clear Cybersecurity Policies: It’s on you to develop clear and comprehensive cybersecurity policies and ensure that they are communicated effectively to all employees. These policies should cover everything from password management to what to do in the event of a data breach. Though robustness is key, ensure it is written in simple terms and be open to feedback from staff.

4. Walk the Walk: Leadership should prioritise cybersecurity and lead by example. This will help to set the tone for the rest of the company.

5. Reward Positive Behavior: Consider implementing a reward system for employees who follow cybersecurity practices and procedures, or even for those who engage in the conversation about it. This could help to incentivise positive behavior and greatly increase conscientiousness.

6. Regularly Review and Update Policies: Cyber threats are constantly evolving, so your policies should too. Regularly review and update your cybersecurity policies to ensure they remain effective and encourage input from staff.

7. Highlight it from the Get Go: As soon as you onboard a new employee, make clear the importance of respecting security measures, emphasizing they are for the sake of everyone. Also consider implementing it into the recruitment process by conducting background checks, or in-depth interviews, especially for those who will have access to sensitive data.

Everyone in the company plays a role in maintaining cybersecurity, but the onus is on you to enable them to do so effectively. By fostering a positive security culture, you can help to ensure that employees take this responsibility seriously and keep your business, and staff secure.