How to encourage a strong cyber security culture

It’s important to grow and maintain a strong cyber security culture within an organisation. This involves educating people about why cyber security is so important for everyone and providing as many opportunities for training and learning as possible. 

One of the most important messages to get across is that employees are the first line of defence to protect against cyber breach attempts. 

The National Cyber Security Centre highlights six main ideas to help develop a robust cyber security culture within an organisation: 

Security helps, not hinders: 

It’s important that employees understand that cyber security enables your business to operate safely and efficiently, rather than just being a set of restrictions.

Openness and trust: 

Create an environment where people feel safe to ask any questions around cyber security, report concerns or admit mistakes without fear of blame. If an employee accidentally clicks on a phishing email, they need to feel safe to report it as soon as possible. 

Adapting to change: 

The digital world is constantly evolving with new threats. Your organisation's approach to security should be ready to adapt, as well as having a learning culture. Every employee should have cyber training every year so they can understand new threats and methods. 

Embed security into the business: 

Encourage secure behaviours by making them the norm. When everyone sees colleagues following good security practices, it encourages others to do the same. Employees should have regular reminders and updates on good cyber security hygiene. 

Lead the way:

The senior leadership team should make cyber security one of their priorities and show good cyber security hygiene from the top. This demonstrates that good habits are embedded within company practice. 

Clear and simple rules: 

Cyber security rules should be easy to understand and follow, not complex jargon that confuses people.

Simple changes your organisation can make

Here are some easy-to-implement changes for SMEs to improve their cybersecurity culture:

Use free resources:  Here at the NWCRC, we offer a free membership for businesses, charities and organisations, with advice, resources and knowledge on keeping up to date on all cyber security measures. 

Simplify security policies:  Review your existing security guidelines and ensure they are easy to use and to understand. Make sure that all employees, and specifically new starters can understand them easily, and that they don’t use technical jargon. 

Encourage reporting:  Make it easy for staff to report suspicious emails or messages, or any other potential security issues. Create a clear point of process for reporting any cyber issues, with feedback built into it. 

By focusing on these simple principles and changes, organisations can build a stronger cyber security culture that protects their business effectively.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the full guidance from the NCSC: Cyber Security Culture Principles - NCSC.GOV.UK