Cyber security? It’s not a tech problem

Getting this message to cut through in an already busy environment can be a challenge. In our experience, getting an organisation primed for a successful transition to becoming cyber aware takes a few key steps:

1: Get buy-in from leadership

Talking ‘technology’ rarely gets an entire leadership engaged. So instead, build the business case. Detail how data breaches and cyber attacks could affect the bottom line.

By using numbers and relatable real-life examples, you can bring ‘technology’ issues like cyber to life and make it meaningful for all aspects of the organisation. This will lead to the support you’ll need to make cyber security a priority.

2: Communicate cyber continuously

Despite cyber being everyone’s responsibility, it is still part of the organisation’s role to train and empower employees to be cyber vigilant. That requires great training, unearthing champions (it works well if they’re not in an IT role) who ‘get it’ and keep the conversation current, and establishing clear lines of communication should a breach or attack occur.

This is an ongoing task, but organisations that excel in this area integrate cyber security into the rest of their operation. Including cyber security in new employee onboarding programmes, discussing cyber security in PDPs and at team events can keep cyber on the conscience of your team.

3: Create a sharing environment

Create an environment where discussing cyber security is encouraged and rewarded. It’s essential to avoid ‘blame’ as that will lead to individuals trying to cover their mistakes, potentially putting the wider organisation at further risk.

Cyber security is likely to be seen as another ‘new’ part of people’s already busy workloads, so taking a carrot rather than stick approach can yield benefits. The early detection, prevention and small ‘wins’ should be rewarded.

Cyber security is a team effort. By following these steps and accessing great training, you can put your employees in a position to succeed.