What is a Security Culture¶
Without a strong cyber security culture within your project or organisation, any attempt to adopt Security by Design is likely to fail. It becomes a waste of time and money.
Organisational culture refers to the shared beliefs, perceptions, values, and attitudes held by people in an organisation. You must care about culture because it profoundly influences employee behaviour and has an immense impact on the successful application of Security by Design.
Culture happens whether you like it or not. Every organisation contains many subcultures that reflect the diversity of its people, departments, and skills. This means that you already have a cyber security culture, even if you are not actively trying to build one.
Benefits of a Healthy Security Culture¶
A positive security culture delivers measurable advantages, including:
A workforce that is more likely to be engaged with, and take responsibility for, security issues
Increased compliance with protective security measures
Reduced risk of insider incidents
Greater awareness of the most relevant security threats
Employees who are more likely to think and act in a security-conscious manner
A willingness to learn about cyber threats and vulnerabilities within your organisation
A core positive attitude that cyber risks can always be further minimised
A strong belief that good cyber security requires continuous time, money, and hard effort
A commitment to continuous learning as key to success
24/7 awareness of the continuously changing and evolving cyber threats and vulnerabilities facing even the most perfectly Security by Design product
Building Culture Takes Time¶
A good security culture within your project or organisation takes time and considerable effort to evolve. Do not assume that because the board has endorsed a security posture, it will automatically be implemented at all organisational levels. That is why continuous training and awareness are key elements of Security by Design.