Cybersecurity: It's a Team Effort

In the past, cybersecurity was primarily an issue for data center administrators. But in recent years, this has changed.

Now, cybercriminals are aggressively targeting employees across all areas of the enterprise from interns and part time workers to c-level executives. Nobody is safe from cybercrime, and all it takes is one mistake to cause a data breach that can bring down an entire organization.

To stay safe, businesses need to have a strong cybersecurity culture in place. Cybersecurity, in  other words, has to be a team-wide effort.

“Every IT worker, every technology worker, needs to be involved with protecting and defending apps, data, devices, infrastructure, and people,” CSO’s Steve Morgan explained last week.

Here are some of the fundamental elements of a strong cybersecurity culture:

Employee training: Employees need to be aware of the current threat landscape in order to recognize and avoid malevolent emails, links and advertisements. Businesses that do not offer cybersecurity training for employees stand a much greater chance of getting hit with a costly cyberattack.  

Strong communication: Team members should feel comfortable asking questions and working together to thwart cybercrime. Encourage your employees to take cybersecurity seriously, and to report suspicious activity when they see it.

A defensive mindset: If nothing else, you should try and instill a defensive mindset in your employees. Remind them to engage in active thinking when using the Internet or mobile device, and to avoid recklessly clicking on things that could be harmful.