Every Cog in the Wheel Matters
Whether your name is on the sign out front, or you are in a leadership role, the success of the business is in your hands. In that role, you know that each department feeds into the overall health of the business, and you need to ensure everyone, and everything is operating at maximum wellness.
Most of these divisions, or departments, within your business are affected first by the employees who are working within them. By getting all employees on board with security awareness you can address a multitude of threats and risks to your success.
It Takes a Village
You need to make each employee and department feel that they are relevant and part of the company’s success. Part of that success means avoiding the threat of a breach which could very likely destroy your business’s future. Asking for their buy-in means making them feel relevant and valued as not just a risk, but as a part of the success. Employees need to know that it isn’t just high-level executives who are targets for a data breach. Their level of access or knowledge can be used as a gateway to obtaining any information within a company. Everyone matters – and unfortunately, that makes everyone a target.
This can help to facilitate a team environment where no man left behind becomes part of the culture. There is a tendency to look out for each other when you know that one of you is not dispensable. Create and cultivate that culture.
Get on the Train
We have fire drills and other emergency training sessions that give our team a heads up on how to react in such a situation, but do you take the same precaution when it comes to cybersecurity? Probably not. We need to change that. Look for ways that are engaging and create team building. You can have contests for security awards, ongoing tallies of scores that unify internal divisions to succeed and band together. Individuals can be nominated and rewarded for reinforcing behavior or actions. Regardless of the method you use, make it fun.
Security awareness is as essential to the success and growth of your company as good leadership and solid decision making are. You cannot avoid facing the risk it poses in today’s business environment. What makes it different, is acknowledging that leadership is not solely responsible for taking on the burden it brings to a business. It is a companywide risk that leadership needs to acknowledge and ensure that everyone knows their value within both the company and avoiding a cybercrime.
