One of the most important aspects of cybersecurity strategy in any business is building a cybersecurity culture. Cybersecurity should form part of the IT planning and budgeting of any business regardless of the type and size. The focus should be on identifying risks and aligning them with the overall business strategy.
Current business practices such as remote working expose data and information to security threats. That is why you need to think about building a strong cybersecurity culture for your startup.
ORGANIZE INTERESTING & REWARDING SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING
Building a strong cybersecurity culture requires a knowledgeable team. A successful culture requires making security awareness training interesting and rewarding. Allow your teams to have openness in learning as they try new things related to security.
Security awareness training involving fun simulation games and role-playing can work well with your employees as it can help to improve learning retention. Think of security awareness training where employees get rewarded after accomplishing something.
Invest in well-executed and good-quality user education. Training the users well can make them a valuable asset to your business. Avoid a culture of fear and blame and ensure that it is positive and collaborative.
One way of making training interesting and rewarding is through gamification. This combines interactive learning and plays to make training appealing. Gamification makes employees motivated to learn and this converts to positive cybersecurity behavior. You can also use personalization so that they can relate to what they are seeing, hearing, or reading.
USE THE RIGHT TRAINING TOOLS
Data protection involves using the right security tools. You should have well-thought-out cybersecurity tools that complement human capabilities. Invest in tools that use AI or machine learning powers. These can empower security operations staff by improving their ability to detect and respond to threats.
Experts say that cybersecurity attacks increase as technology evolves. To benefit more, you can recruit, educate and retain cybersecurity experts from diverse backgrounds. The security teams should be as diverse as the security problems they want to address.
A leading writer for an admission essay writing service says that recruiting able cybersecurity talent requires you to maintain a strong social presence. You can find social professional networks focused on cybersecurity matters on social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Websites, forums, and discussion groups can be ideal places to start conversations. You can also engage entry-level talents as you focus on mentoring them.
USE FEEDBACK WELL
If you want to build a strong cybersecurity culture in your business, prioritize employee training and ensure that it is backed by valuable feedback. Training and communication can be more effective if interactions are turned into a dialogue.
Businesses with strong cybersecurity culture engage their employees in security discussions. They also take into account employee feedback and use it to improve security procedures.
Employee feedback should be constructive. Use practical examples to explain to them why something is wrong and how they can arrive at the desired results. Ensure that the feedback is encouraging and relevant. Relevant feedback shows how the learning material influences the employees directly.
Feedback keeps the learners engaged and motivated. The learners can get the best out of the course content and their performance can improve. Timely and constructive feedback enhances knowledge retention and encourages self-reflection.
INVOLVE THE EXECUTIVES
Senior executives in your business are the biggest cyberattack targets. The executives have large access to critical business systems such as the authority to transfer funds. In most cases, they are ignorant about cybersecurity matters because they feel that it is not their responsibility to implement the security procedures.
Your executive team should undergo regular cybersecurity training just like other employees. The training should bring out why they are top targets to cybercriminals and the need for them to set an example to elevate the organization’s cybersecurity culture.
Security training for executives goes beyond highlighting password requirements and focusing on common security threats. Your executives may already be aware of the basics of security. You need to consider system-wide security and put checks and measures to handle the attacks.
BE CONSTRUCTIVE & AVOID PUNISHMENT
Learn to differentiate between disciplinary action and punishment. Rewarding achievements or good behavior is better than punishment. When employees know that they will be punished as a result of wrongdoing, this may lead to grudging and lack of interest to learn. They may be afraid to admit mistakes and therefore look for ways to escape. This can only put your business at a higher risk.
When employees make security mistakes, it does not mean that they have failed completely. Mistakes are known to grow people’s brains. Your employees can learn more from past failures and this can make them better in the long run.
When employees fear punishment after making a mistake, they may not be motivated to rectify it. This can cause a minor mistake to become major. Your employees can do anything to hide a mistake instead of dealing with it. Offer constructive criticism when employees make mistakes and look for creative ways to help them deal with issues.
CONCLUSION
Building a strong cybersecurity culture is knowledge-based. It requires you to organize impactful training of all staff, get employee feedback, engage the right security staff, and avoid punishing employees for making security mistakes. A strong cybersecurity culture will enhance the consistency of implementation of security measures and ensure data protection.
