The Impact of Cybersecurity Training on Company Culture

Cybersecurity training is not an option for today’s companies, regardless of their size or industry. The threat of cyberattacks has increased dramatically in recent years, with cybercriminals focusing their efforts on exploiting unprepared employees to gain unauthorized access. When poor training leads to poor defenses, the costs can be significant.

The most effective cybersecurity training programs seek to do more than simply educate employees. Their goal is to shift a company’s culture to instill a heightened appreciation for cybersecurity, a broader line of defense, and a dynamic experience that inspires users to engage with content, understand risks, and adopt safer behaviors.

As companies seek to leverage training to craft a more cybersecure culture, the following factors should be carefully considered.

Preparing Your Organization For Transformation

To begin the shift, companies may need to do some work on their current culture. Certain factors in the existing culture can make it challenging to implement cybersecurity training.

A punitive environment can make it very challenging to implement cybersecurity training effectively. Employees who are concerned about being penalized for errors or perceived failures will be less likely to openly and eagerly engage with training, as their fear of negative consequences will stifle their learning.

A reluctance to ask questions, report issues, or fully participate in training exercises are all signs of a potential punitive culture. Companies that see those signs will need to address the fears behind them and create a more encouraging environment to improve the effectiveness of cybersecurity training.

A culture in which leadership is disengaged also makes it more difficult to carry out practical cybersecurity training. When leaders are not actively involved in training, it can negatively affect its credibility and value in the eyes of employees. Leadership engagement sets a supportive tone, demonstrating that cybersecurity is a priority for the organization.

When training becomes a checkbox exercise rather than a culture-shifting tool, the entire organization loses. Leaders have the influence needed to elevate the importance of cybersecurity training. When they participate in and promote it, their actions identify the training as a vital part of all employees’ responsibilities.

Tracking the Culture Shift in the Organization

As companies begin implementing cybersecurity training, they should be on the lookout for shifts in a few core areas of the culture. The first involves communications, which should improve as the training begins to have an impact.

Employees are more likely to share information and work together as they become more knowledgeable about security practices and threats. Companies in which cybersecurity training positively impacts culture should see employees collaborating to identify and address potential risks, which will strengthen the company’s overall security posture.

Appreciation for continuous learning will also become a part of the culture as cybersecurity training takes hold. Engaging and relevant cybersecurity training encourages employees to embrace ongoing education as part of their professional development. It stresses that learning must be constantly reinforced and updated to keep pace with the rapid introduction of new attack schemes.

The positive attitude towards learning that flows from cybersecurity training can extend to other areas, ensuring success in a wide range of company initiatives. Experts have found that a culture of continuous learning helps companies to be more innovative, efficient, and competitive in the marketplace.

One of the more obvious side effects of comprehensive cybersecurity training is a more security-conscious culture. As employees incorporate the safe habits they learn in training into their daily activities, those practices gradually become the standard behavior. The result is a shift towards consistent, security-conscious practices that help to create a more resilient organization.

Over time, these shifts support the collective adoption of best practices that decrease vulnerabilities and reduce the likelihood of security breaches.

Avoiding Missteps that Weaken Defenses

In today’s cyberthreat landscape, human errors rank as a top risk. Recent studies show that 68 percent of breaches in 2023 resulted from errors committed by employees, including falling victim to social engineering schemes.

Consequently, neglecting the human element in cybersecurity training is a crucial misstep that can weaken a company’s cybersecurity defenses. Training programs must be designed with the employees’ roles and responsibilities in mind.

For example, traditional phishing simulation campaigns function similarly to penetration tests, subjecting the target — employees — to an attack scenario such as a fraudulent email to observe their response. This approach can lead to ineffective training that does not resonate with employees or address their unique challenges. To build a truly cyberaware and secure culture, it is essential to develop training programs that engage employees and cater to their needs.

Gamification is one approach to ensuring employee-centric training. It creates a more welcoming and engaging training environment, communicating that the company values its employees’ learning experiences and is committed to making training enjoyable and relevant. This can enhance job satisfaction, boost morale, and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Successful organizations are keenly aware of the value of company culture. They invest heavily in processes that strengthen culture while being careful to discourage those that weaken it. Proactive and robust cybersecurity training can play a key role in fostering a strong culture while also keeping companies protected from the threat of cyberattacks.

– Vinicius Perallis is an expert in cybersecurity and CEO of Hacker Rangers, a company focused on fostering cybersecurity practices within businesses using gaming techniques. As the visionary behind Hacker Rangers and a passionate enthusiast of gamification, Vinicius has effectively introduced training programs to over 250 companies in Brazil and worldwide. His background at IBM and other leading technology firms has shaped his knowledge and guidance in the industry.

Vinicius Perallis, Special to California Business Journal