A strong security culture forms the foundation of any thriving organisation. By embedding security into employees’ everyday responsibilities and behaviours, companies can build a resilient internal security environment where staff consistently uphold best practices and pass them on to new team members.
This blog will outline the vital role CISOs play in building a proactive cybersecurity culture. We’ll provide expert recommendations on leadership behaviours, security training, risk management, and communication strategies to help you transform your organisation’s culture into one that prioritises security education and best practice.
Why is a strong cybersecurity culture important?
Cybersecurity culture is people-led. Fundamentally, it’s human behaviour that determines whether a cyberattack succeeds or fails. Phishing emails, for example, rely heavily on a lack of employee awareness, which leads to them unsuspectingly clicking on a malicious link.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that workplace culture is closely tied to risk reduction and resilience. In a recent report, over half of the people surveyed had fallen for a cyber attack or phishing scam, highlighting that the vast majority of breaches still trace back to human error or a lack of education.
Strong cybersecurity culture and positive reinforcement of the right behaviours can have a transformational impact on your business’s security. As a CISO, you play a central role in enforcing this. Well-educated employees, good cybersecurity knowledge, and continuous improvement guarantee fewer incidents, faster response, and better trust across teams- a recipe for business-wide security success.
The CISO’s role in shaping security culture
As a CISO, you may be wondering where to begin when introducing a good security culture to your team. To be successful, CISOs must be willing to go above and beyond basic policy enforcement and act as culture leaders, dedicated to raising awareness through educating teams on cyber threats, security policies, and the importance of shared responsibility.
From senior leaders to interns, everyone is culpable for your business’s security, and enforcing that is key. Here are some simple tips to help encourage everyone to take a proactive approach to information security.
Lead by example
Visible leadership is essential. When CISOs model secure behaviour, others look to them as a reputable source and follow. To lead with authenticity and build trust, encourage transparency around incidents, and the lessons that can be learnt from this. You could stage quarterly meetings discussing key security findings, providing employees an opportunity to learn and ask questions.
Collaborate with teams (beyond IT)
Collaborate with HR, communications, and other departments to ensure that security is recognised as everyone’s responsibility. Work together to co-own initiatives that promote secure behaviours and accountability across the organisation. This cross-departmental collaboration helps embed a strong cybersecurity culture throughout the business.
Communicate the ‘why’ of cybersecurity
Employees are more likely to engage when they understand why cybersecurity matters to both them and the wider organisation. You could invite subject matter experts to give examples of real-world threats and consequences.
While you don’t want to fear-monger, facts are important. With 60% of small businesses that suffer a cyberattack going out of business within six months, the risks of poor security should be firmly and effectively communicated.
How to build lasting behaviour changes in cybersecurity culture
Any business can enforce checkbox training and long, complicated ‘required reading’ of company security policies, but many CISOs know this unimaginative approach to security is ineffective, and normally leads to endless team reminders and follow-ups.
Achieving genuine behavioural improvement requires moving beyond simply ticking boxes to adopting a more dynamic approach that truly captures attention and encourages people to listen.
Make security personal and relatable
- Use stories, real incidents, and examples within the organisation to make security more exciting. Everybody loves a dramatic hacking story, and using this curiosity to educate is an effective way to engage your team on security risks.
- By highlighting how each person plays a vital role as the ‘first line of defence,’ you help employees see the real impact they have on cybersecurity. This makes security feel personal and important, motivating everyone to take greater responsibility and be more engaged in protecting the organisation.
Use multi-channel learning
- Go beyond once-a-year training to keep things fresh. Use micro learnings, Slack prompts, quizzes, and scenario-based workshops to collectively provide access to detailed information*,* training **and support for new and existing team members.
- Be sure to reinforce security at key moments. Whether it’s onboarding, product releases, or policy updates, nurturing a strong cyber culture is essential to continued team success.
Dedicate security champions
- Create a network of ‘security advocates’ within departments, to help you in enforcing security behaviours cross-departmentally.
- Peer influence often drives stronger behavioural change than top-down policies, so introducing security champions is a great way to tackle security in an approachable and down-to-earth way.
Recognise and reward ‘secure’ behaviour
- Everybody loves an incentive, and incentivising security best practices is a great way to tackle cyber culture. By incentivising employees to report concerns, flag phishing attempts, or be proactive in software updates and password management, CISOs can build positivity around security, rather than fear.
- At the same time, keep an eye out for a department- or employees- that may be the weakest link in your organisational culture, so that you can identify areas for improvement and direct some more personal and positive support their way. Positive reinforcement is key: fear-mongering and sanctioning can actually make employees less likely to report concerns or reach out for help.
Justify the investment
- Measure reporting rates, incident response times, skills gap reductions, and engagement scores-going beyond mere training completion- and present these metrics clearly to justify the investment. Are things improving, and what further can be done to boost metrics next quarter?
Embed security into business processes
- Integrate security considerations into project planning, procurement, and development to ensure a positive approach. This way, security becomes an enabler of innovation rather than a barrier, building a culture where safety and progress go hand in hand.
Overcoming common barriers in cybersecurity culture
Overcoming common barriers in cybersecurity culture is essential for CISOs aiming to achieve lasting behavioural change. Resistance to change, often expressed as an “it’s not my job” mentality, can disrupt progress.
When staff are bombarded with too many messages, they can quickly tune out and disengage, negatively impacting both employee well-being and overall attitudes to security. And if there’s no real backing from senior leadership or the budget just isn’t there, it becomes nearly impossible to make security part of the everyday culture.
A lack of executive sponsorship or budget can quickly stall cybersecurity initiatives. The key is to bring security to life through storytelling: connect it to real business outcomes and show how it protects what matters most. Integrate security messages into existing communications and meetings so that they feel part of everyday culture, not an extra task.
Finally, make participation easy and rewarding by simplifying processes, recognising contributions, and celebrating small wins. When leaders engage both emotionally and practically, lasting security support naturally follows!
Cybersecurity culture: Quick wins checklist
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