Cyber Culture is More than Technology, It’s a Mindset

Change management and communication are key to protecting against cyberattacks.

By Kathi Scott, Cadmus

In an ever-evolving landscape of more sophisticated threats, technology is only one part of the equation for protecting against cyberattacks. Another crucial part is a robust cyber mindset. Today, successful organizations are creating environments conducive for implementing change, while communicating frequently about cybersecurity and what’s coming next.

And there’s a lot of change for government agencies to integrate. Ranging from how to secure remote and hybrid work to implementing major new directives such as the Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity and OMB Memo M-22-09 – Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero Trust Cybersecurity Principles.

Change management and communications are integral to instilling a cyber mindset and building a strong cyber culture. Employees think before they click, security policies are enforced, threat intelligence is shared, risks are mitigated and everyone understands their role in adopting technology and processes that will further protect the enterprise.

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and a cyber mindset doesn’t happen overnight. It takes an engaged and vigilant workforce – from the top down and bottom up – along with consistent and frequent messages about how cybersecurity practices protect the enterprise.   This type of workplace culture values security awareness and behaviors that are integrated seamlessly into daily operations. The result is an organization that better understands potential threats, reduces cyber incidents and is more resilient if an attack does happen.

Building a strong cyber culture means maintaining awareness of evolving cyber threats, understanding changes being made to combat those threats, and being able to collaborate and communicate well across the organization. Wheelhouse Group uses a multi-pronged approach when helping our clients meet their cybersecurity goals – applying our organizational change management and communications methodologies to actively engage employees and leadership on cybersecurity awareness, collaboration  and shared responsibility.

Focusing on the people side of a change initiative and building a strong cybersecurity culture helps employees embrace and adopt change, reduces resistance and ultimately increases the speed of adoption. Sustaining that culture will lead to reduced cyber incidents and greater visibility into potential threats, helping organizations meet the Federal zero trust architecture strategy and it’s accompanying mandates.