Cybersecurity Is Everybody’s Business: How to Engage Your Whole Team

By Kraig Kleeman

“Remember when cybersecurity was just a nerdy club? Well, now it’s the hottest ticket in town, and everyone’s invited. Buckle up, because we’re turning every employee into a cyber-ninja, one phishing simulation at a time.” — Erik Severinghaus, Founder and CEO

Introduction

I’ve seen a lot in my days, including that cyber security is no longer just for IT professionals. This is an important issue for everyone, right? So let’s look at how we can get everyone on board with a strong cybersecurity culture across the company.

1. Starting a Culture of Cyber ​​​​​​Security

So where do you start? Well, first of all, we need to make sure that everyone knows that cyber security is essential from the moment they join the team. I mean, he integrates it into his onboarding program and continues to provide updates and training to stay on top of the latest tips and threats. And don’t forget these practice exercises. There’s nothing like a good old fashioned phishing attack simulation to keep everyone on their toes!

2. What’s Gotta Be in There?

An effective cybersecurity culture must have several elements:

  • Continuous learning: Keep those training wheels turning with regular sessions.
  • Everyone’s On Hook: make sure everyone knows they have a role to play.
  • Talk It Out: Have you received a strange email or a funny picture? Say! We all need eyes and ears.
  • Rlues That Grow: As the bad guys get smarter, so must our policies.
  • What if: We need to have a solid plan of action in case things go wrong.

3. Who’s the Boss?

Ideally, this should be the CISO, you know, the chief information security officer. But here’s the catch: they need the help of the big guns. This is where senior management steps in to ensure our security is rigorous and aligned with our business objectives.

4. Who Else Should Be Tgging Alng?

It’s a team effort, my friends:

  • Tech Tech (IT Team): These are the guys who make sure all the technical stuff is locked down.
  • Human resources (HR) professionals: help integrate safety into our daily professional lives.
  • Policy controls (legal and compliance): These help us stay out of trouble with the law.
  • Chatter Experts (Communications Team): They keep us all updated on what’s going on.

5. Oops! Where did we go wrong?

What is the biggest mistake? Thinking that cyber security is only for the IT department. No, it’s everyone’s business. Also, not updating the training regularly is a real shame. This makes all the initial frenzy pointless.

6. A Little Extra for Ya

One last thing: make security an integral part of our everyday work life. When someone manages to stop a cyber attack or see something fishy, ​​congratulate them! What if we stumble? No fault, just learning and improving. We celebrate the good things and learn from our mistakes.

So, in conclusion, getting everyone in the company to live and breathe cybersecurity is not a one-time project. It’s a long way, isn’t it? But with everyone’s input, updates and strong initiatives, we will not only manage to protect our digital assets, but also build a smart, alert and almost unstoppable team.

About Erik Severinghaus

Erik Severinghaus is an accomplished entrepreneur, author, and mountaineer, blending Mark Zuckerberg’s visionary business insights with Tony Stark’s innovative humanitarian efforts. With sharp business acumen and a talent for engaging stakeholders, Erik has founded and exited ventures generating over $600M in value. A founding investor in Hyde Park Angels, raised $6M for his latest venture, Bloomfilter, which is experiencing rapid growth. Also an endurance athlete, Erik has summited major peaks, including Mt. Everest. He often shares how overcoming business challenges has prepared him for his climbing triumphs.