Cybersecurity usually gets a lot of attention from your IT team. However, to protect your business and your customers, having a few passionate team members champion the cause is not enough. You need a culture of cybersecurity that stretches across your organization, starting with your leadership team.

Of course, it’s one thing to know you need a resilient cybersecurity culture and another thing to make it happen. 

To build truly long-lasting cybersecurity, you can’t just add it to your company’s values poster in the breakroom. Real change requires actionable ideas, clear strategies, and the company’s buy-in at every level of your organization.

So let’s make it happen! This Cybersecurity Awareness Month (yes, it’s a thing), use these tips to build a company-wide culture of cybersecurity from the top down:

1. Implement zero trust architecture

Zero trust architecture can be summed up as “never trust, always verify.” 

It is a departure from the more traditional “castle” structure of a security system, in which outside parties are blocked from accessing company data, but parties inside the system are relatively trusted. 

Instead, zero trust architecture trusts nothing and no one. Hallmarks of zero trust architecture include:

  • Continuous validation at every stage of digital interactions, such as login and connection timeouts.
  • Limiting access rights to only the information required.
  • Strict controls on device access.
  • Microsegmentation to prevent lateral movement in the system by an attacker.

According to a recent Microsoft Security publication, zero trust architecture can be especially beneficial for remote and hybrid work because it applies the same level of protection regardless of where a user or device is physically located. 

2. Leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning

AI and machine learning tools are increasingly adopted as part of security measures. According to IBM:

  • 34% of AI adopters cite threat detection as their top AI use case.
  • AI adopters estimate that AI has led to a 30% increase in the rate of threat detection.
  • Companies that use security AI experience a 68% reduction in breach costs compared to companies that do not integrate security AI. 

There are many compelling use cases for these tools. AI, for example, can help you spot potential threats quickly by analyzing large amounts of data in real time. Another example is using AI to monitor user behavior, which can flag unusual activities even if they slip past traditional security measures.

However, AI can be a double-edged sword. As much as it can help you create sustainable security processes, it also poses risks. These risks include:

  • Bias in AI algorithms: AI can inadvertently amplify biases in the data it’s trained on, skewing threat detection.
  • AI-targeted attacks: Hackers are developing ways to exploit AI systems and turn AI tools against systems.
  • Over-reliance on AI: Relying heavily on AI without enough human oversight can overlook nuanced threats.
  • Complexity in integration: AI tools can be challenging to integrate into existing systems, creating vulnerabilities.
  • Vendor security measures: Not all AI vendors implement the same security protocols, which could expose your system to new threats.

So, do your homework before integrating a new process into your system and evaluate vendors thoroughly. (See tip 1: never trust, always verify.) 

3. Take a closer look at your cloud security

More organizations are moving their tech to the cloud, from software-as-service tools to cloud-based servers. The benefits of this are easy to see, but the security risks can sometimes get, well, lost in the clouds.

If you’re using cloud-based vendors for tools, make sure you’re asking questions like:

  • Is your data encrypted at rest and in transit?
  • Who from your provider has access to your cloud data?
  • Does the cloud provider undergo frequent audits?
  • What is the provider’s disaster recovery plan?
  • Does your provider support specific compliance requirements?
  • How much technical support does your provider offer?
  • What is your cloud provider’s protocol for breaches or security incidents?

So, what do you do with that information? You can use it to assess if your cloud provider meets your security and compliance needs. If anything raises red flags, re-evaluate or push for improvements.

4. Enhance supply chain security

When we say “supply chain security,” we’re talking about the importance of protecting your business from the risks posed by third-party vendors and partners. In today’s interconnected world, a security breach anywhere in your supply chain can quickly threaten your entire organization.

Third-party risk assessment is a critical component of a successful security system. To protect your company:

  • Assess and monitor the cybersecurity practices of all vendors and partners in your digital supply chain. 
  • Implement strict security protocols for third-party access to your systems.
  • Beyond your primary vendors, take some time to understand how their service providers or subcontractors may interact with your systems or data.

If you need a place to start, check out the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Guide for Conducting Risk Assessments.

5. Implement multi-factor authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one of the most important ways to protect your data ecosystem, yet it’s far from the norm in the business world. 

For companies with less than 100 employees, MFA usage hovers around 34% (though that number drops further for small businesses with less than 25 employees). 

This can lead to significant exposure to password attacks. In 2023, Microsoft deflected over 1,000 password attacks per second in its systems, and 99.9% of the compromised accounts didn’t enable MFA. 

To adopt MFA effectively:

  • Start with critical systems: Implement MFA on systems that hold sensitive data or have high access privileges.
  • Educate your team: Provide training to ensure everyone understands the importance of MFA and how to use it.
  • Choose user-friendly options: Opt for easy MFA methods for your employees, like app-based authentication.
  • Review and update regularly: Keep your MFA practices up to date with the latest security advancements to ensure continued protection.

6. Develop a comprehensive incident response plan

Create, regularly update, and practice an incident response plan that covers various cyberattack scenarios. Every employee should understand their roles and responsibilities in case of an incident.

Your incident response plan should document requirements and procedures through these four functions:

  • Preparation and planning: This phase involves more than just drafting the plan—it’s also about proactive employee training. Equip your team with the knowledge to recognize risks, gather necessary resources, and understand their roles within specialized response teams.
  • Detection and analysis: Develop frameworks for identifying and documenting common attack sources, such as email, external media, websites, impersonation, and equipment loss or theft.
  • Containment, eradication, and recovery: Focus on strategies to prevent the incident from spreading, eliminate the threat, and ensure it doesn’t happen again.
  • Post-incident response and activities: After an incident, review the response and document lessons learned to improve future readiness.

Besides the incident response plan, security assessments should be regularly performed to identify and address vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

Prioritize employee training and awareness

Prioritizing employee training is essential for responding to incidents and fostering a proactive cybersecurity culture. Well-informed employees are your first defense against threats like phishing schemes and beyond.

Tip: Use simulated phishing exercises and gamification to make learning more engaging and memorable. This kind of training doesn’t just prepare employees for potential incidents—it builds the awareness needed to prevent them in the first place.

No matter what kind of training activities you incorporate, don’t limit it to onboarding or our annual all-staff meeting. To be effective, it has to be ongoing and ingrained in your company culture. Integrate it into your daily operations, encourage visible leadership involvement, and recognize security successes to create a proactive stance. 

7. Understand the threat landscape   

Cybersecurity threats like social engineering, phishing, identity attacks, SIM swapping, ransomware, and human error are ever-present dangers that exploit both human behavior and technological vulnerabilities. But you can’t prepare for risks when they aren’t on your radar. 

  • Social engineering and phishing: These attacks manipulate people into sharing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links, often through fraudulent emails or messages. These attacks are increasingly common, with a 60% increase in phishing attacks in 2023 from the previous year.
  • Identity attacks and sim swapping: Identity theft and SIM swapping allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to accounts by impersonating someone, often bypassing security measures like two-factor authentication. In 2024, 93% of organizations experienced two or more identity-related breaches. A notable trend is the increase in malware-free identity attacks, such as phishing and social engineering, which accounted for 75% of detected identity attacks in 2023.
  • Ransomware:  Ransomware encrypts your data and demands a ransom for its release, causing significant operational disruptions and financial losses. Ransomware has been around since the late 1980s, but just because it’s old enough to be thinking about retirement doesn’t mean it’s going anywhere. Approximately 59% of organizations were hit by ransomware last year.
  • Human error: While a lot of cybersecurity attention is paid to external threats, sometimes the call is actually coming from inside the building. Employees’ errors, such as falling for phishing scams or mishandling sensitive data, are common entry points for cyberattacks. In fact, 74% of Chief Information Security Officers point to human error as the most significant vulnerability in their cybersecurity protocols.

Understanding these threats is critical to building effective cybersecurity protocols. By recognizing the risks, you can implement proactive strategies, such as employee training, multi-factor authentication, and incident response planning, to protect your business.

Cybersecurity isn’t just an IT thing—it’s everyone’s responsibility.Whether you need personalized training or just want to stay in the know, we’ve got you covered. 

Get in touch with Red Clover Advisors for customized training that helps your entire business stay ahead of today’s threats. (And check out our podcast—it’s chock full of the latest tips and insights to make your business safer.)