This year marks the 13th annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM), which kicked off on October 1, 2016 (you can follow all of the action on Twitter by using the hashtag #CyberAware). The NCSAM theme for this week is “Cyber Security from the Break Room to the Board Room,” which provides an opportunity to reflect on methods for creating a cyber security savvy workplace.
Here are three approaches executives and security leaders can take to not only spread cyber security awareness, but also instill good cyber security habits.
1. Encourage frequent, open dialogue. At all levels, from the board room to the break room, maintaining transparency and educating employees about potential risks to the business is important. Most employees are not highly motived by cyber security policies on paper. You need to consider ways to reach employees by reinforcing how risks could escalate into consequences at the individual level.
2. Don’t expect a transformation in cyber security vigilance overnight. Asking people to change their habits when it comes to practicing cyber security diligence is harder than you think. The more cyber security practices that can be incorporated into regular business operations and decision-making without disruption, the better. Yes, there is likely a dedicated security team or security person in most organizations – but they can’t be the only ones leading the charge. Organizations need cyber security champions and influencers within groups outside the IT and security department, too, to lead by example and increase the adoption of cyber security best practices across the entire business.
3. Incentivize employees who maintain cyber security hygiene. You could spend a lot of time looking for policy violators in your organization, but that might not be the most effective method for creating a positive culture. Recognizing the efforts of employees who are improving cyber security will go a long way. How do you recognize your cyber security champions? People like to know they’ve had an influence in mitigating cyber risk and upholding strong cyber security posture. Don’t be shy about handing out gold stars to your top performers.
Infographic: From the Board Room to the Break Room
As a NCSAM Champion, we are dedicated to increasing cyber security knowledge throughout the month of October. Our infographic below offers advice for how to incorporate cyber security at every level of a business – from the board room to the C-suite to the break room.
