Why is a cybersecurity culture essential in today’s business environment?

As the threat landscape grows, cybersecurity has become a major issue for companies across all industries. This is especially true for sectors that handle sensitive data. In an increasingly connected world, IT threats are multiplying and becoming more sophisticated over time. Given that human error causes most IT security breaches, implementing a robust cybersecurity culture within your business is imperative.

The importance of cybersecurity for businesses

In a world where information has become a strategic asset, companies are particularly vulnerable to cybercriminal attacks. Personal, financial, economic and strategic data is now considered the “black gold” of our century. A cybersecurity failure can have devastating consequences, from data breaches to the theft of trade secrets.

In parallel, cyberattacks can lead to considerable costs for companies. Expenses induced by remediation, system restoration, regulatory fines, reputational damage and litigation with stakeholders are far from negligible.

Cybercrime currently has the fastest growing rate globally, especially since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hackers are also increasingly skilful and sophisticated, using various phishing, ransomware and social engineering tactics. On top of this comes the complexity of corporate information systems, combining internal networks and legacy applications.

To protect themselves from various cyber risks, organisations must be ready to take action. After getting technical security under control and deploying information security management systems, the next step is to closely consider human and organisational factors. And for that, nothing beats a solid cybersecurity culture.

What is a cybersecurity culture?

According to a recent Verizon survey entitled “2023 Data Breach Investigations Report”, human error is involved in 74% of security breaches, whether through social engineering, mistakes or misuse^[1]. Employees are an easy and often preferred target for cybercriminals. Company security can be compromised by practices that may seem harmless to users. Opening an infected email attachment, a mere click on a malicious link or downloading a compromised file all can have serious consequences.

That is why building a corporate cybersecurity culture has become imperative. This means raising awareness among all employees, as well as other stakeholders like suppliers and service providers, of cyber risks and good practices to adopt preventatively.

Providing cyber security awareness training will help users grasp the issues at stake, but above all it will teach them how to identify risks, adopt secure behaviours and, ultimately, react quickly and effectively in the event of an incident. The goal is to reduce the risk of cyberattacks and their potential impact. This is how an efficient, sustainable cybersecurity culture is created where responsibility lies not only with dedicated cybersecurity teams and their chief information security, but with every member of the organisation. Properly trained and made aware of cyber threats, employees then become the best line of defence against hackers.

Key figures

• On average, each employee receives 14 malicious emails per year^[2];
• 80% of employees use their personal computer for remote working despite most being equipped with a work computer^[3];
• In over 1/3 of companies, employees circumvent or disable remote security measures^[4].

How to implement a cybersecurity culture?

An effective, long-term cybersecurity culture is based on five key principles.

1. Management commitment

Management commitment is essential for establishing a cybersecurity culture. Leaders should set an example by following best practices and supporting security initiatives. This sends a clear message to employees about the importance of cybersecurity and its values.

2. User awareness

The second step is building cybersecurity awareness across the organisation. This aims to provide stakeholders with all the key information around this strategic issue. Users need to be informed of potential threats as well as security best practices. Awareness can be raised through training, quizzes and simulations.

3. Security policies

Companies need to develop robust security policies to guide and govern employees’ day-to-day actions. These act as safeguards on various topics:

• Password management;
• System access control;
• Device management;
• Protection of sensitive data;
• Etc.

4. Incident monitoring and management

Continuously monitoring IT activity and implementing incident management plans are essential for rapidly detecting threats and responding effectively. Companies need to be ready to react in the event of a security incident to minimise damage. To further involve users, they can even encourage them to report potential security flaws.

5. Continuous improvement

Obviously, a cybersecurity culture needs to continually evolve. Companies should regularly assess their policies, processes and training content to adapt to new threats and technological developments. In parallel, IT departments can use indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of their cybersecurity culture (number of trained employees, number of reported incidents, etc.).

Implementing a corporate cybersecurity culture has now become an imperative necessity. Given the potential costs of IT attacks, the evolution of threats and the complexity of the IT environment, the issue is critical. By fostering a cybersecurity culture, companies take a proactive, effective approach to strengthen their security and protect sensitive data. Ultimately, this promotes a working environment where vigilance and preparedness in the face of cyber threats are an integral part of everyone’s daily routine.

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^[1] Verizon, 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report

^[2] Tessian, Must-Know Phishing Statistics: Updated 2022

^[3] Kaspersky, Consumer IT Security Risks Report 2021

^[4] Palo Alto Networks, The State of Hybrid Workforce Security 2021