Cyber-Awareness Culture in Companies

The purpose of cyber awareness is to implement, reinforce and maintain good cybersecurity practices. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) differentiates cyber awareness from cybersecurity education or training alone. Rather than focusing on acquiring specific skills or knowledge, cyber awareness would comprise the substrate on which both are built.

It makes it possible for what has been learned to go beyond the mere mechanical application of a series of steps in terms of protection in the use of information technologies. It implies a deep internalization in each person of an organization to assimilate cybersecurity, not as a set of more or less specialized tools focused on IT aspects, but as a general attitude that also understands it as a guiding principle of any action related to professional activity.

Beyond technical cybersecurity education

Cyber awareness means developing a proactive mindset with respect to the challenges posed by security in the technological context. Awakening cyber awareness is not simply teaching people what to do in the face of, for example, a phishing campaign. It is relatively simple to instruct someone on how to act in a timely manner in the event of a cyberattack.

However, getting them to understand and, in turn, be interested in constantly incorporating best practices in their daily activity implies a certain degree of knowledge, assimilation of the risks and threats that exist in the digital environment, and of their responsibility to prevent and mitigate them.

What does cyber awareness really involve and how can it be achieved?

Through optimal cyber awareness it is possible to strengthen cybersecurity within a company. This is achieved by facilitating its perception as an aspect that is part of the organizational culture, i.e. the way in which an organization conducts its business. It is increasingly important to align ways of proceeding that address cybersecurity as a principle with the normal professional routine established as a constituent element of an organization.

The 2023 DBIR report published by Verizon states that 74% of cybersecurity incidents are due to human error. Such data shows that companies are exposed to cyber- attacks because their staff has not conveniently internalized a cyber awareness.

Therefore, paying due attention to their promotion helps to prevent risk situations that can lead to economic losses and have a negative impact on a company’s reputation.

Moreover, IT-related threats are constantly evolving, with new ones appearing on an increasingly regular basis. Effective cyber awareness focuses not only on addressing known dangers, but also on broadening the perception of attack vectors in general, without limiting it to specific threats. This contributes to significantly improving the cyber resilience of organizations.

Incorporation of best practices

Creating a culture of cyber awareness in companies is not an easy or quick task. It requires commitment and a long-term strategy. Undoubtedly, the increasing attention and involvement of senior management in cybersecurity issues helps to form a better perception of its importance as an aspect to be incorporated as a work routine. If the aim is to establish a robust and effective culture of cyber awareness, it is necessary to work consistently towards a broad understanding of what cybersecurity is.

In this way, this understanding leads to an attitudinal change with respect to the incorporation of good practices. Focusing attention exclusively on isolated actions in response to situations that may involve some danger, through specific training that only provides a fragmented view that teaches a certain mechanics in the face of a possible alarm scenario, may be one of the pieces that contributes to the creation of a culture of cyber awareness, but it cannot replace a broader strategy that is rooted in a proactive cybersecurity disposition.

From such a perspective, the focus shifts from simply training to involving all personnel in incorporating a security-oriented attitude into their professional background. Consolidating a workspace where, among other things, well-defined and consistent security policies are followed and disseminated, with well-designed awareness programs, and which encourages the continuous improvement of personnel in cybersecurity matters, is fundamental to creating a culture of cyber awareness.

At JakinCode we are heavily involved about this, and that is why we have designed our services to help companies make such a scenario a reality.

Cybersecurity, both a challenge and an opportunity

The rising frequency of cyber-attacks, which extend beyond public awareness, is garnering increased attention. This highlights a growing awareness that cybersecurity is not just a concern for specialists.

Cybersecurity is both a challenge and an opportunity for companies in the digital era, and this is being understood to a greater extent by management bodies which, given the number of cases reported, are concerned not only with implementing protection measures, but also with consolidating a culture of good practices that contributes to minimizing the risks of becoming a victim of a cyberattack.

To deal with it successfully, it is not enough to have IT protection systems and tools, but it is also necessary to create a culture of cyber awareness.