If your organization has poor network security and does not prioritize cybersecurity as well as it should, it can lead to security vulnerabilities that result in cyberattacks and data breaches.
Cyberattacks can cause extended network downtime and damage your network. This could cost your organization hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair your network as a result of the attack.
Additionally, data breaches can result in sensitive company data, and patient, and customer information being leaked to unauthorized users damaging your business reputation in the process.
Understanding what a cybersecurity culture is, the challenges with implementing one, and how to avoid those pitfalls will help you improve cybersecurity in your organization.
Coeo understands how important developing a cybersecurity culture is and has helped thousands of organizations prioritize cybersecurity with network security solutions and services to avoid cyberattacks and data breaches.
We want you to understand the problems of implementing a cybersecurity culture into your organization and how to avoid them so you can address these challenges in the most effective manner enabling you to maximize cybersecurity to avoid cyberattacks and data breaches.
By the end of this article, you will understand what cybersecurity culture is, the challenges of implementing it, and how to avoid these challenges.
What is cybersecurity culture?
A cybersecurity culture refers to the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of an organization’s employees and stakeholders on cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity culture encompasses how people within the organization think and approach cybersecurity and the issues that can arise from it.
Prioritizing a healthy cybersecurity culture will help avoid network security risks, cyberattacks, data breaches, and their ramifications.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about cybersecurity or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
The challenges of building a strong cybersecurity culture
A cybersecurity culture can help organizations prioritize and be more conscious of security to avoid cyberattacks and data breaches. However, there are also challenges to building a cybersecurity culture which includes:
Lack of buy-in from leadership
Just like with any other initiative or strategy that might be implemented into an organization, if there is a lack of buy-in from leadership, a culture that prioritizes cybersecurity will not exist.
The leaders in an organization should develop the standards and set examples for how the rest of the organization should operate and handle things.
If the leadership of the company doesn’t support a cybersecurity culture, their actions and words will show that it is not a priority for them and, therefore, it won’t be a priority for the rest of the organization.
Employees resistance to change
Another challenge in building a strong cybersecurity culture is convincing employees and other individuals within the organization who resist change.
Many employees may be too comfortable with the way they currently operate and because of this, may be resistant to new processes or initiatives that prioritize cybersecurity.
Lack of cybersecurity understanding
Another challenge with building a cybersecurity culture is employees not having a proper understanding of cybersecurity.
It is difficult to implement a new strategy or game plan if the employees and internal individuals do not understand the objective of the strategy being implemented.
Employees that do not fully understand cybersecurity will have a difficult time incorporating it into their daily activities which can hinder the process of developing a strong cybersecurity culture.
Insufficient resources
Another challenge with implementing a strong cybersecurity culture is lacking the resources to properly train employees on cybersecurity.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, there may be employees within the organization who struggle to understand what cybersecurity is and what it means to be secure since it is a complex topic.
However, if your organization lacks the resources to communicate with employees and train them on cybersecurity, it will prevent your organization from building a strong cybersecurity culture.
Inconsistencies
Another challenge with building a cybersecurity culture is having inconsistencies within your organization.
If cybersecurity best practices are not followed consistently through all departments and at all levels within the company, there will not be a strong cybersecurity culture.
Failing to update and optimize cybersecurity policies
Cyberattacks and data breaches are constantly evolving to identify different ways to attack and penetrate networks. Because of this, cybersecurity must evolve and adapt to stay current with the changing landscape.
Failing to update and optimize your cybersecurity policies will prevent you from implementing a strong cybersecurity culture and may create security vulnerabilities that can expose your network to threats.
Some ways to avoid the challenges of implementing a strong cybersecurity culture
Now you understand what cybersecurity culture is and the challenges of building a strong cybersecurity culture.
However, it is also important to understand how to avoid these challenges so you can maximize your security and prevent cyberattacks and data breaches. Some of the ways to avoid these challenges include:
Buy-in and leadership from C-level employees
Almost every company initiative starts from the top of the organization. It is important to ensure that leadership has bought into the initiative before rolling out the best practices.
Once leadership is on board in creating a cybersecurity culture, it is their responsibility to communicate the importance of the initiative and serve as great examples to ensure a strong cybersecurity culture.
Training employees on cybersecurity
Another way to avoid the challenges of implementing a cybersecurity culture is to train employees on the importance of security and best practices to ensure reliable cybersecurity.
To accomplish this, it may be important to use internal or external IT expertise to educate employees on cybersecurity.
Some employees may be resistant to change so it is important to show them the importance of cybersecurity and the consequences of not having a strong cybersecurity culture.
To accomplish this, organizations attempting to implement a cybersecurity culture must assign roles to employees and educate them on cybersecurity best practices they must use consistently.
Avoiding the challenges of implementing a cybersecurity culture in your organization
Now you understand what cybersecurity culture is, the challenges of building one, and the ways to avoid these challenges. This will help improve your organization’s security to avoid cyberattacks and data breaches.
No organization can afford to be a victim of a cyberattack or data breach and deal with the consequences that follow them.
To avoid these consequences, it is important to implement a strong cybersecurity culture that consists of best practices that employees can follow.
Coeo understands how important a cybersecurity culture is and has delivered thousands of security solutions and services to organizations to help them build a strong cybersecurity culture.
We want you to understand the challenges of building a cybersecurity culture and how to prevent them so you know how to avoid these issues should they arise when implementing a cybersecurity culture in your organization.
If you would like to speak with our team to learn more about cybersecurity or ask any questions you may have you can schedule an appointment.
Now that you understand the challenges of implementing a cybersecurity culture and how to avoid them, read this article to learn how to build a cybersecurity culture in your organization:
