Building A Robust Cybersecurity Culture

There’s no doubt that awareness of information security in corporations has dramatically improved in recent years. The media is full of stories of breaches, both internal and external. CEOs have been forced to face the music on the evening news. Now, most people understand the value of data and the risk of it falling into the wrong hands. Building a robust cybersecurity culture is important for every company, and it starts at the top. 

Many things are driving the growth of more security-focused culture in most businesses. Investment in building this cultural change has never been higher, with analyst firm Gartner predicts spending on Information Security will reach $150.4 billion in 2021.

What are some of the key points to consider when developing your security awareness strategy? Each of these is equally important and must be considered as part of a complete approach.

Policies

Many organizations have moved to make managers and employees aware of their responsibilities by creating policies to govern information security. These policies are crucial, but they can only be effective when owned and given a practical purpose. For example, people must be trained on these policies and taught to understand the consequences of failure to follow them. Most companies now have a formal induction process for new employees where computer use and security policies are reviewed.

Leadership

These initiatives and policies must not be dismissed as tick box, busywork exercises. These run the risk of not being taken seriously. To ensure this isn’t the case, information security must be owned and reinforced as a business issue that matters at the highest level. One way to support this is to align security strategy with key business goals and objectives, like building customer loyalty or managing risk.

Assessment

The ultimate success of any cybersecurity culture can only be determined by continual measurement and feedback from stakeholders. Surveys, interviews, tests, and audits are crucial in revealing whether programs are effective but also to identify any gaps that need to be filled.

Technology

The implementation of technologies that reduce a company’s attack surface and help reinforce security strategy is essential. Technology alone cannot prevent every threat. It’s always worthwhile to invest seriously not just in the technology itself, but ensuring that it’s implemented correctly and in the right places.

WALLIX offers solutions that give privileged users in your organization secure access to information systems and devices and gives you complete visibility and auditing of their actions, helping you to meet compliance requirements and keep data secure.