Cyber security is everyone’s responsibility

Blue Saffron recently held a virtual event with expert guest TEDx speaker, Chani Simms, on ‘Cybersecurity – The New Normal and New Threats’. One comment from an attendee which stood out from the discussion was; “so, security is everyone’s responsibility”. We felt this was especially pertinent because even now, given the times we are living in and when so many of us work from home, cybersecurity is often thought of as a job for a company’s IT department. It makes sense as they are the tech experts who would best understand how to keep a business secure. However, whether they realise it or not, employees engage in activities that put them, as well as the business, at risk much of the time.

During the event, Chani stressed that, as long as we use technology, cyberattacks WILL happen. This is backed up by the UK National Cyber Security Programme where they found 46% of businesses had a cyber breach or attack in 2019 (2020 report is due in March). Among that 46%, more are experiencing these issues at least once a week -mainly from phishing attacks where employees unintentionally click on malicious links.

It is, of course, essential for organisations to have the necessary security in place to monitor and protect attack surface areas. But no security product can be a silver bullet to stop all cyberattacks. It is necessary to educate and empower the last and most crucial line of defence: your employees.

Employees need to understand that their actions have an impact on a company’s security. They should be trained regularly on the cyber threat landscape and learn to engage in cyber safe habits such as defending themselves against phishing attempts; using

strong passwords; securing devices and knowing when to report. The National Cyber Security Centre has put together a great little summary with some simple top tips for staff.

Leaders play a key role in building a cybersecurity workplace culture. They also play a key role in helping drive the implementation of cybersecurity practices in the workplace. Ultimately, if leadership and management builds a positive attitude around cybersecurity awareness and encourages the workforce to become enthusiastic about building a culture of cybersecurity, it enhances the employee’s awareness and consequently, their ability to minimise cyber risks.

So, from C-Suite to senior leadership and middle management to frontline, it’s important all employees understand that safeguarding the organisation can help prevent sophisticated cyberattacks and in turn can save the organisation from financial, legal and reputation damages.

Want to discuss how we can simplify your IT security strategy and help keep your data secure? Contact us today or talk to one of our team on 0844 560 0202.

Further Information

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