SkipToMainContent

How To

From the break room to the boardroom: Creating a culture of cybersecurity in the workplace


Written by a NortonLifeLock employee

 

Whether you own a small business or a big one, you live in a world where cybersecurity is of paramount importance. Big business, small business, academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofits… all of these need to take an interest in cybersecurity or pay the price. It’s a matter or success, but also a matter of national security. Those working in critical infrastructure have a special obligation to make sure that they’re securing the workplace. Here are some of the best ways to create a culture of cybersecurity where you work.

Try Norton 360 FREE 30-Day Trial* - Includes Norton Secure VPN

30 days of FREE* comprehensive antivirus, device security and online privacy with Norton Secure VPN.

Join today. Cancel anytime.

*Terms Apply

It All Starts With Education and Training

Cybersecurity around your office begins with education and training: education in best practices and training in how best to execute those best practices, as well as making them a daily habit. Some key areas to hit include:

  1. App Updating: The main way that hackers are going to find a way into your system is through outdated app with known exploits. Make sure your coworkers and employees know to update their apps as soon as the update is available, not “later on.”
  2. Password control: The best solution is a password management application. This holds all of your passwords in one place, allowing people to generate strong, random passwords. They then only need to remember one strong password to unlock the app itself. Barring that, use strong passwords, only use them once and _never_ store them on a post-it note on the monitor.
  3. VPNs: Especially for a business, VPNs aren’t optional. These encrypt all traffic leaving your computer until it reaches its destination. If someone somehow manages to get in the middle of your traffic, all they will have is encrypted junk data. It’s not enough to have a VPN—people have to make sure they’re actually using them.
  4. Cybersecurity as part of basic training: Educate all current employees at once and all new employees coming in with the same best practices. As best practices become updated, update your training and corral the team to make sure everyone continues to be on the same page.

These four best practices, when combined with an enterprise-class, full-service Internet security suite are your best option when it comes to protecting your workplace against cyberthreats.

Awareness Must Continue Past Education

None of this education and training is any good unless you create a culture of cybersecurity awareness around the office. So how do you do that?

  1. Compliance programs: Make changing passwords a regular task, like cleaning the bathrooms. Make sure everyone is doing what they need to do to keep their passwords secure.
  2. Rewards programs: Offer rewards for employees who find ways to improve cybersecurity around the office. Don’t look to spot check your cybersecurity. Look for ways to make small, but significant tweaks to what you’re already doing.
  3. Accountability programs: Encouraging your employees to rat one another out for not following best practices will just erode trust. However, encouraging your employees to gently hold one another accountable will ensure compliance with best practices.

Try Norton 360 FREE 30-Day Trial* - Includes Norton Secure VPN

30 days of FREE* comprehensive antivirus, device security and online privacy with Norton Secure VPN.

Join today. Cancel anytime.

*Terms Apply


Editorial note: Our articles provide educational information for you. NortonLifeLock offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about cyber safety. Please review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not monitor all transactions at all businesses.

Copyright © 2023 NortonLifeLock Inc. All rights reserved. NortonLifeLock, the NortonLifeLock Logo, the Checkmark Logo, Norton, LifeLock, and the LockMan Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NortonLifeLock Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Firefox is a trademark of Mozilla Foundation. Android, Google Chrome, Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google, LLC. Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Microsoft and the Window logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.