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How to build a cyber security culture at your workplace

Businesses across the globe are hacked every day. Whatever their size, anyone can be targeted by a cyber criminal. So it’s important you build a cyber security culture at your workplace… here’s how. 

cyber security culture

Last month, a major web hosting company was hacked and over a million customers’ email details were compromised. 

Companies are regularly being fined for GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) breaches because they used out of date software or failed to carry out routine security testing.

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If even online experts can be victims of a cyberattack, how can you prevent your business from being hit by cyber criminals, with all the cost and harm to your operation and your reputation this entails?

The threat

Everyone in your team needs access to your systems and data to do their job; much of it may be personal and financial information belonging to customers and suppliers, as defined by GDPR. 

Cyber criminals know this and are targeting the human element with increasingly convincing methods.

Forget the con-artist pretending to be the “finance minister” of a developing country, cybercriminal gangs now run complex, international hacking “call-centres”, often based in pariah states, full of workers paid to bombard your defences with wave after wave of phishing attack (attempting to obtain sensitive information via fake emails or phone calls).

They use sophisticated tactics, impersonating colleagues within your business, law enforcement agencies, suppliers and friends. 

They prey on people’s judgement, trust, insecurities or lack of training and they only have to be lucky once. Working from home has made workers even more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Criminals also know how much companies rely on their data and systems, making them vulnerable to blackmail. 

They employ a variety of ways to find a chink in your procedures or to trick staff to infect your IT with ransomware, which locks you out until you pay a ransom.

Turning perceived weakness into strength

We spend more and more on multi-layered cyber defence walls, but nothing gives 100% protection. 

Effective firewalls and software reduce the risk of a successful attack, but humans will always be a potential weak point.

However, a healthy cyber security culture within your business can transform everyone in your organisation, from the receptionist to the Chief Technical Officer, from a target into your frontline of cyber defence.

Building a culture

A culture is a set of “rules” by which people behave with each other. 

Every crime drama fan knows that acting in a certain way requires a means, a motive and the opportunity. 

In a cyber security culture, this equates to training, awareness and support. Training and your management organisation play a key role.

Cybersecurity training

Trained and alert staff are your best initial warning systems, not only against phishing attacks but against complacency and procedural corner-cutting which allow gaps in your defences to be exploited.

Before you even start training, an audit of current staff knowledge and practices is needed to identify deficiencies.

Then, for training to be effective, it should connect emotionally with people, emphasising on a personal level what it would mean for individuals if their business is harmed or closed by an attack they could have spotted and prevented. 

Training should be relatable, interactive and regular, to prevent skill fade and maintain awareness.

The organisation

Every level of management is crucial for creating the atmosphere in which team members have the confidence to report something that doesn’t seem right and to admit quickly if they think they’re the victim of a hacker.

Neither should cyber security be seen as a dirty word or a barrier to getting the job done. Managers should encourage IT security teams and rules to be seen as enablers, not the enemy in an internal “turf war”. Incentives such as rewards and praise for raising an alert can also be effective.

And don’t forget to include customers and suppliers in your safe community. You all rely on each other to stay secure.

Effective systems

An effective cyber security strategy requires a risk-balanced approach and a clear understanding of the threat based on accurate evidence of current active and real threats.

A safe cyber environment has testing baked into its culture. 

Everything is tested continually, with weaknesses identified and policies, processes and controls adapted when necessary to meet changing threats.

The Syn-Star culture

We believe that Dark Web and cyber security training should never stop, because the threat environment continually evolves. Our approach is a blend of training, monitoring and testing.

Our Cyber Security Academy offers training, ongoing awareness campaigns and regular test emails to help your staff identify the tell-tale signs of a cyber threat and how to mitigate against an attack.

For added protection and peace of mind we also scan the Dark Web for indications of any weaknesses in your security for early indication of possible attack.

To learn more about how we can help you create a cyber security culture in your business, contact Syn-Star for a free initial consultation.

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