How to Create a Cyber Security Culture

How to Create a Cyber Security Culture

In this world of frequent hacks and attempted hacks, it is more important than ever to foster a cyber security culture in your business. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. 

Keep reading to learn more about how to create a cyber security culture among your employees. 

Remember the Basics

There are a few basic cyber security measures that every business should be taking, including the following: 

Strong Passwords

It seems simple, but a strong password is an important step in protecting against a cyber attack. Make sure that you and all your employees are using long passwords that include a mix of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. 

Update Your Software Regularly

Most software has some glitches in it, no matter how long it's been on the market. While these glitches often aren't even noticeable, they can sometimes make you more vulnerable. 

Stay one step ahead of potential attackers and keep your software up to date. This is especially important for programs like antivirus scanners and your firewall. 

Limit Access

Not every employee needs access to every part of your computer network. 

Limiting access to sensitive data to only those who need to work with it is another simple way that you can create a cyber security culture in your workplace. With access limited, everything is not automatically made available to someone who hacks into one employee's account. 

Let Your Employees Know Why They Should Protect Themselves

You understand the importance of cyber security, but your employees might not. 

If your employees think your security policies are excessive or unnecessary, they aren't likely to follow them. Make sure you're teaching your employees the importance of cyber security. 

There are a few ways you can accomplish this:

Help Them Find Their Motivation

It's important to find what motivates your employees to protect their information. Talk to them about potential security issues and the implications of a security breach. 

For example, do they want to protect their families and their personal finances? Making things more personal will help motivate employees to follow through with your cyber security measures. 

Discuss The Benefits Of Cyber Security

In addition to personal motivation, talk to your employees about how increased cyber security helps the company as a whole. 

Remind your staff that a lack of cyber security may reflect badly on your company.

Your customers or clients want to know that their information is safe. They might take their business elsewhere if they think your employees and the company as a whole do not care about security.  

Keep It Simple

It's important not to overload your employees with information. Rather than bombarding them with new programs and policies, start small and figure out which behaviors you want to promote first. 

Over time, as your employees get comfortable with initial security measures, you can take things a bit further. If they feel overwhelmed or frustrated by a deluge of information, employees are more likely to resist the changes. 

How Do You Create A Cyber Security Culture?

What do you think of our list of tips for creating a cyber security culture? What other steps would you take? Let us know in the comments below!

You can also contact us today to learn more about how to protect your business.