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How to Build a Successful Organizational Cybersecurity Culture

Cybersecurity is a persistent challenge for organizations. With the rapid growth of digital technology and the constantly evolving threat landscape, cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and targeting organizations from every angle. Organizations are struggling to keep up with the challenges of staying compliant, maintaining security awareness and keeping their workforce aligned to a single cybersecurity culture. The result is inconsistent cybersecurity practices that often leave gaps in the organization’s perimeter security. The correct way to build an organizational cybersecurity culture is not something you can pick up overnight; it requires an organized approach that starts with understanding your current state and building toward your goals.

Let us look at key elements that help build an effective organizational cybersecurity culture.

Cybersecurity is a persistent challenge for organizations. With the rapid growth of digital technology and the constantly evolving threat landscape, cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and targeting organizations from every angle. Organizations are struggling to keep up with the challenges of staying compliant, maintaining security awareness and keeping their workforce aligned to a single cybersecurity culture. The result is inconsistent cybersecurity practices that often leave gaps in the organization’s perimeter security. The correct way to build an organizational cybersecurity culture is not something you can pick up overnight; it requires an organized approach that starts with understanding your current state and building toward your goals.

Let us look at key elements that help build an effective organizational cybersecurity culture.

Start With a Vision and Roadmap

An organization’s cybersecurity vision is the “big picture” of the overall cybersecurity posture and the strategy to achieve it. A vision should inspire your employees to think about cybersecurity in a new way and put them in the right mindset to approach their work in a way that will safeguard the organization and increase efficiency. A roadmap is the “blueprint” that lays out the path you want your organization to take to achieve the desired outcomes. Each roadmap component should directly tie into your overall cybersecurity strategy and goal. A roadmap will help identify immediate cybersecurity objectives and the long-term goals your organization wants to achieve. A roadmap should also include milestones that identify the steps your organization needs to take to get from one milestone to the next. These milestones should be broken down into smaller, achievable goals. The roadmap should be updated and revised as you discover new risks and information. Cybersecurity is a dynamic field that continually changes; the same should apply to your roadmap.
Start With a Vision and Roadmap
An organization’s cybersecurity vision is the “big picture” of the overall cybersecurity posture and the strategy to achieve it. A vision should inspire your employees to think about cybersecurity in a new way and put them in the right mindset to approach their work in a way that will safeguard the organization and increase efficiency. A roadmap is the “blueprint” that lays out the path you want your organization to take to achieve the desired outcomes. Each roadmap component should directly tie into your overall cybersecurity strategy and goal. A roadmap will help identify immediate cybersecurity objectives and the long-term goals your organization wants to achieve. A roadmap should also include milestones that identify the steps your organization needs to take to get from one milestone to the next. These milestones should be broken down into smaller, achievable goals. The roadmap should be updated and revised as you discover new risks and information. Cybersecurity is a dynamic field that continually changes; the same should apply to your roadmap.

Assess and Understand Your Current Cybersecurity State

Before building an organizational cybersecurity culture, it is critical to assess and understand your current state. By doing so, you will be able to identify any areas that require immediate attention and corrective action and any areas you can safely neglect. Understanding your current state is especially critical when managing and implementing organizational change. Often, organizations spend significant time and energy specifying how they want their cybersecurity program, but not how they currently operate. Assessing your current state will also help you identify vulnerabilities and pressure points in your current cybersecurity program that may need immediate attention. To get a clearer picture of your current state, you should thoroughly examine your current cybersecurity program. As you go through this process, keep in mind that you are looking to find answers to critical questions such as:

  • What are your existing cybersecurity controls and protections?
  • Are your existing cybersecurity protections up-to-date with current best practices?
  • Are your existing cybersecurity controls performing optimally?
  • Are your current cybersecurity protections deployed correctly and in accordance with your policies and procedures?
  • Are your existing cybersecurity controls based on the right threat intelligence?
  • Do you have an effective incident response plan?
  • Are your existing security policies and procedures correct and up-to-date?
Assess and Understand Your Current Cybersecurity State

Before building an organizational cybersecurity culture, it is critical to assess and understand your current state. By doing so, you will be able to identify any areas that require immediate attention and corrective action and any areas you can safely neglect. Understanding your current state is especially critical when managing and implementing organizational change. Often, organizations spend significant time and energy specifying how they want their cybersecurity program, but not how they currently operate. Assessing your current state will also help you identify vulnerabilities and pressure points in your current cybersecurity program that may need immediate attention. To get a clearer picture of your current state, you should thoroughly examine your current cybersecurity program. As you go through this process, keep in mind that you are looking to find answers to critical questions such as:

  • What are your existing cybersecurity controls and protections?
  • Are your existing cybersecurity protections up-to-date with current best practices?
  • Are your existing cybersecurity controls performing optimally?
  • Are your current cybersecurity protections deployed correctly and in accordance with your policies and procedures?
  • Are your existing cybersecurity controls based on the right threat intelligence?
  • Do you have an effective incident response plan?
  • Are your existing security policies and procedures correct and up-to-date?

Organize Periodic Cybersecurity Training Programs and Events for Employees

Keeping your employees engaged and up-to-date on cybersecurity best practices is essential to creating a culture of cybersecurity consciousness in your organization. While many organizations may have specific cybersecurity training programs, the problem with these programs is that they are often time-limited, one-off events. To stay compliant, engage your employees in periodic cybersecurity training programs and events and encourage them to become cybersecurity champions in their organization. You can leverage routine cybersecurity training programs and events to cover cybersecurity awareness and hands-on cybersecurity training. You may also want to consider team-building and socialization activities to engage your employees outside the office. Remember that cybersecurity training should be part of your regular employee training program. It should be part of your employees’ everyday experience, not a separate program because your employees are your weakest link. Organizing traditional cybersecurity training programs and events for your employees will help you stay compliant. It will also help ensure that employees remain updated on the most current cybersecurity best practices and controls.

Launch an Inclusive Organization-Wide Awareness Campaign

Cybersecurity awareness programs typically focus on informing employees about what cybersecurity is and what it is not. While this is an essential step in building an organizational cybersecurity culture, it does not go far enough in helping employees understand the risks and threats they face every day on the job. It is also important to remember that awareness is not the same as understanding. Awareness is the first step toward engagement, and engagement is where a person becomes a cybersecurity champion. The best way to engage employees is to create opportunities to learn and engage in the cybersecurity conversation. Cybersecurity awareness campaigns that take the form of interactive learning experiences are the most effective in engaging employees. You can organize learning experiences in several ways, including workshops, classroom discussions, online interactive quizzes and simulations, and hands-on activities.
Organize Periodic Cybersecurity Training Programs and Events for Employees
Keeping your employees engaged and up-to-date on cybersecurity best practices is essential to creating a culture of cybersecurity consciousness in your organization. While many organizations may have specific cybersecurity training programs, the problem with these programs is that they are often time-limited, one-off events. To stay compliant, engage your employees in periodic cybersecurity training programs and events and encourage them to become cybersecurity champions in their organization. You can leverage routine cybersecurity training programs and events to cover cybersecurity awareness and hands-on cybersecurity training. You may also want to consider team-building and socialization activities to engage your employees outside the office. Remember that cybersecurity training should be part of your regular employee training program. It should be part of your employees’ everyday experience, not a separate program because your employees are your weakest link. Organizing traditional cybersecurity training programs and events for your employees will help you stay compliant. It will also help ensure that employees remain updated on the most current cybersecurity best practices and controls.
Launch an Inclusive Organization-Wide Awareness Campaign
Cybersecurity awareness programs typically focus on informing employees about what cybersecurity is and what it is not. While this is an essential step in building an organizational cybersecurity culture, it does not go far enough in helping employees understand the risks and threats they face every day on the job. It is also important to remember that awareness is not the same as understanding. Awareness is the first step toward engagement, and engagement is where a person becomes a cybersecurity champion. The best way to engage employees is to create opportunities to learn and engage in the cybersecurity conversation. Cybersecurity awareness campaigns that take the form of interactive learning experiences are the most effective in engaging employees. You can organize learning experiences in several ways, including workshops, classroom discussions, online interactive quizzes and simulations, and hands-on activities.

Establish a Transparent Reporting and Information Sharing Medium

You can develop a formidable data-backed cybersecurity culture in your organization by establishing a transparent reporting and information-sharing medium. To start, you will want to create a report or information-sharing medium that tracks key cybersecurity metrics. This allows your organization to track, analyze, and report performance. To create a culture of cybersecurity, you will also want to establish an information-sharing medium that allows your organization to share information more efficiently and transparently. Transparent reporting and information-sharing medium will help your organization develop a cybersecurity culture by providing your management team with more insight into the effectiveness of your existing controls and protections and the effectiveness of your current program. It will also enable your organization to share information more easily among internal teams and across external parties.
Establish a Transparent Reporting and Information Sharing Medium
You can develop a formidable data-backed cybersecurity culture in your organization by establishing a transparent reporting and information-sharing medium. To start, you will want to create a report or information-sharing medium that tracks key cybersecurity metrics. This allows your organization to track, analyze, and report performance. To create a culture of cybersecurity, you will also want to establish an information-sharing medium that allows your organization to share information more efficiently and transparently. Transparent reporting and information-sharing medium will help your organization develop a cybersecurity culture by providing your management team with more insight into the effectiveness of your existing controls and protections and the effectiveness of your current program. It will also enable your organization to share information more easily among internal teams and across external parties.

Wrapping Up

Organizations can effectively combat the threat posed by sophisticated cyberattacks only if they are proactive and implement sound cybersecurity practices. The best way to create a cybersecurity culture is to start with a vision and roadmap, build an organization-wide awareness campaign, and implement periodic cybersecurity training programs and events. With these elements, you can create an inclusive organizational cybersecurity culture that will help safeguard your data, applications, and networks and respond to threats quickly and effectively.
Wrapping Up
Organizations can effectively combat the threat posed by sophisticated cyberattacks only if they are proactive and implement sound cybersecurity practices. The best way to create a cybersecurity culture is to start with a vision and roadmap, build an organization-wide awareness campaign, and implement periodic cybersecurity training programs and events. With these elements, you can create an inclusive organizational cybersecurity culture that will help safeguard your data, applications, and networks and respond to threats quickly and effectively.

See also:

Advisory: Introduction to Abu Dhabi Department of Energy Cybersecurity Framework

October 6, 2022

Advisory: Introduction to Kuwait Banking Sector Cybersecurity Framework

October 4, 2022

HAWKEYE Alert Advisory: New Microsoft Exchange Zero-Days

October 2, 2022

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