Did you know that the majority of cyber attacks stem from human error? Whether it's clicking on a phishing link or falling victim to social engineering tactics, employees play a crucial role in an organisation's cybersecurity posture. In this blog, we'll explore how Australian businesses can build a cybersecurity culture internally, empowering employees to become the first line of defence against cyber threats.
In our experience, companies realise they don’t have a cybersecurity culture after we conduct our Penetration Testing programs with targeted safe phishing attacks directed at employees. Once successful, we’re able to let the business know how we got in - usually through employee error.
So, how do you overcome this before it’s too late?
Education & Awareness
Although cybersecurity training is met with groans of displeasure from employees, the first step in building a cybersecurity culture is to educate employees about the risks they face and the impact of their actions on the organisation's security. Conduct regular training sessions on topics such as phishing awareness, password hygiene, and safe internet browsing. By raising awareness, employees become more vigilant and better equipped to identify and report potential threats.
Ensure Policies and Procedures
Develop comprehensive cybersecurity policies and procedures that outline best practices, acceptable use guidelines, and incident response protocols. These ideally go in hand with an Incident Response Plan, to ensure even the most remote and least experienced employee knows what to do at the start of a cybersecurity breach. Communicate these policies to employees, and sometimes run a fire drill in line with a penetration testing attack to ensure they are being adhered to.
Encourage a Reporting Culture
Nobody likes a tattle-tale, however, creating an environment where employees feel comfortable reporting suspicious activities or potential security incidents is key to building a cybersecurity culture. Implement anonymous reporting mechanisms and establish a non-punitive approach to any reporting. By fostering a reporting culture, employees become active participants in identifying and mitigating potential threats, allowing for quick incident response.
Implement Strong Access Controls
Again, much to the displeasure of employees who want easy access to systems, we recommend implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access, to minimise the risk of unauthorised access to sensitive systems and data. Although it adds an administrative burden to operational employees, it ensures that only authorised personnel have access to critical resources.
Conduct Regular Penetration Tests
Regularly assess your organisation's security posture through proactive penetration testing with an outsourced cybersecurity consultancy such as IPSec. The team at IPSec will identify potential weaknesses in your infrastructure, systems, and employee practices by building safe-guarded simulated attack scenarios that identify which employees in your business need more cybersecurity awareness.
Lead by Example
Lastly, lead from the front when it comes to cybersecurity. Leadership plays a vital role in establishing a cybersecurity culture. When employees witness a commitment to cybersecurity from top-level management, they are more likely to prioritise and follow secure practices themselves.
Can IPSec help my business build a cybersecurity culture?
The short answer is, yes!
Partnering with IPSec can greatly support your organisation in building a cybersecurity culture. Our cybersecurity expert team provides access to playbooks, best practices, and guidance on implementing cybersecurity initiatives. We frequently work with our customers to:
Identify poor cybersecurity cultures through a rigid Penetration Testing program that tests against social engineering, phishing, smishing and all types of attack scenarios that exploit human factors as the vulnerability.
Advise in designing and implementing security awareness training programs as part of our consulting business;
Conduct regular security assessments to identify vulnerabilities and recommend remediation measures under our Protect, Detect and Guard managed service offerings;
Offer incident response and management support, ensuring swift and effective response to security incidents under our under our Protect, Detect and Guard managed service offerings;
Deliver ongoing monitoring and threat intelligence to stay ahead of emerging cyber threats; and
Provide guidance on implementing robust access controls, encryption measures, and other security technologies in line with our partnerships at SentinelOne, Microsoft, LogRhythm, and Tenable.