Cyber threats are everywhere, lurking right around the corner of the world wide web. One wrong click can lead you right into the trap of bad actors, costing you your data, money, reputation and more. Cyber threats come in many forms. Data leaks, backdoors, spyware, ransomware, cryptominers, the digital world is plagued with digital diseases. Having an anti-virus and firewall won’t cut it any more. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, damages from cybercrime will cost $6 trillion per year by 2021, a 50% increase from 2015. It is becoming extremely important that organisations adopt a cybersecurity culture at their workplace, now more than ever, to minimise the loss from cyber incidents.

Why a cybersecurity culture is important?

Hackers are always on the move, trying to think on their feet, finding new ways to scam people on the internet. Individuals who are not cyber secure end up becoming victims of hackers who leak their sensitive data on the dark web for sale. But how does this affect organisations? Most of the adult population either have their own business or work for someone else. These high-risk individuals use their devices to access their organisation’s files and communicate within their organisations. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that these individuals end up posing a direct threat to their employer’s business. It is, thus, nothing less than vital for organisations of all kinds, to promote a culture of cybersecurity among its workforce so that people cannot only become cyber safe professionally but personally as well.

What does a good cybersecurity culture look like?

A good cybersecurity culture means thinking about holistic cybersecurity. It includes planning, implementing and controlling the cyber safety process. Cybersecurity is not a linear process. It requires safety on multiple levels, out of the box thinking, strategic planning and more. Having a dedicated cybersecurity team is an intrinsic part of a good cybersecurity culture in any organisation. Cybersecurity is a full-time job and probably one of the most important and dynamic roles in the current digital world. Employee training, third-party service providers’ security, investment in offensive security (for example, hiring professionals with ceh course certification), strict security policy-making are some steps companies can take to ensure they stay cyber safe, or at least, prepared for cyber attacks.

How can organisations build a helpful cybersecurity culture?

Organisations need to start from the basics and instil the concept of security in everyone making sure that employees understand that the company’s security resides in each one of their hands. Along with making threat detection and reporting easier, companies can also create a culture of rewarding those who follow safety practices and help make the organisation more secure. Encouraging security personnel to undertake extra security training as an additional skill (for example, CHFI online training or ECIH training), providing security products for remote staff’s devices and performing regular sanitisation checks can help keep the cyber threats at a distance and prepare your business for a crisis.

What individuals need to do to contribute?

Individuals, as part of an organisation, need to make sure they stay informed and alert at all times. Watching out for suspicious activities, staying away from illegal websites, verifying links before clicking on them, relying solely on trusted sources for information, using multi-factor authentication, keeping strong passwords, sanitising their devices regularly are some ways that will make sure that cybersecurity is always a top priority among individuals.

Remember that cultivating a cybersecurity culture can do wonders for your organisation and it’s not rocket science to execute. With the right attitude and approach, you can transform your weakest security points into your strongest allies.