A security culture is defined as “the set of shared beliefs among members of an organization about how they should act to protect themselves and the organization from harm” . It is created by leaders, managers, employees, and customers. If your team doesn’t have a security culture you’re inviting disaster into your company. Read on to learn more about what that means for your business.
If you’re not sure where to start with creating a security culture at work then this article will help you get started! We’ll cover: why it’s important for everyone in the company to be involved in the process; taking care of threats before they happen; and how we can create a stronger sense of accountability within our team so we all take ownership over protecting our assets and data.
1. What is security culture and how does it affect your business?
Security culture is a system of shared beliefs and attitudes that create a predictable, reliable response to any situation. It’s the way you do things around here. Some organisations have well-established security cultures with clear policies, regular training, and a defined set of processes for employees to follow. Others have a looser security culture within their organisation and might be at risk should a cyber incident occur.
2. Why is a security culture important?
A security culture is important for all businesses. It can be hard to guard against cybercrime with technical measures alone but there are steps that you can take to protect your business by upskilling and empowering your team.
For example, educating employees on the importance of not clicking anything suspicious or opening attachments from people they don’t know. This will make them less likely to fall victim to phishing scams. Additionally, it’s critical that you have a firewall installed and updated regularly so that cybercriminals cannot get in through your computer system. Making cyber hygiene a priority within your organisation makes it clear to your team that everyone has a role to play in keeping the organisation safe online.
3. How do you foster a positive security culture in the workplace?
You need to be aware of your employees’ concerns and take steps to address them. One way is by taking advantage of what you already have, like company policies. Security awareness training can also help by teaching people about things they should never do or say on social media, how to use their digital device safely, and other precautions that could make it more difficult for a cyber attack to succeed. There are many ways you can create a secure environment at work; the important thing is knowing where both your technical and human weaknesses lie so that you know what needs attention first or if there’s anything else you should be doing differently.
4. Tips for improving your organisation’s security culture
A good place to start would be an audit of your IT systems, identifying any systems that are not patched and up-to-date, and then establishing a clear company policy (and setting aside regular weekly time) around when patches and updates should be installed. A phishing test can be commissioned to determine how well staff spot email-based attacks on your infrastructure, followed by some staff training on how to identify a malicious email and what course of action they should follow if they receive one.
Involving the team in security planning, development, and roll-out of new policies and procedures will help build a security culture within the organisation whereby every member of the team understands their role in securing the organisation’s assets and feels empowered to do so with confidence.
The importance of security culture cannot be overstated – especially in today’s world.
A strong, cohesive security culture is the best protection an organisation can have against cyberattacks and data breaches. Start by examining your own company or team to see how you measure up, if there are areas where your team is lacking, it may be time for some changes! We’re here to help with that free consultation – book one now!
