Mistakes happen. It’s inevitable. According to a study, 95% of all cybersecurity incidents and breaches are caused by human error.

Therefore, one of the best ways for businesses to curb those mistakes and prevent data breaches is to cultivate a secure team and make them cyber-aware. That can be achieved during Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an awareness program celebrated in October. During this period, team members are made aware of cybersecurity incidents and threats, paving the way for a secure and cyber-aware team.

Cultivating a secure team requires care and feeding. It is not something that grows in an organically positive way, you must invest in it. When the teams in your business are security secured, they transform security from a one-time event to a cycle that generates good cybersecurity returns.

This is an opportunity Cybersecurity Awareness Month offers. With the help of IT experts, businesses will be able to build a secure and security-conscious team.

Actions to Take during Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Here are four (4) key action steps to take during Cybersecurity Awareness Month

• Enabling multi-factor authentication
• Using strong passwords or going passwordless
• Updating software
• Recognizing and reporting phishing

These actions help build a stronger line of defense against cyber-attacks.

How to Cultivate a Secure Team during Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Instill the concept that security belongs to everyone

Many businesses are of the opinion that only the security department is responsible for all security issues. This is a wrong mindset. Security is not a one-person job; everyone must believe they play a role in the company’s security. 

You can achieve this “we are all in” concept by incorporating security into your mission and vision. Once this concept is instilled in everyone, you are cultivating a secure team that will be security conscious.

Executive-to-endpoint cybersecurity awareness training is required

For a long time, only the executive or head of a department or team was cybersecurity trained. Because employees were less aware of cybersecurity, cybersecurity attacks have increased. To mitigate this, cybersecurity awareness training must go from the executives/heads of teams to the endpoints (employees/teams). Everyone must be part of the cybersecurity team. If possible, cybersecurity training should take place every four (4) months. 

Cybersecurity Awareness must be mandated for Teams

Unless your teams are cyber secure and aware, they will not be able to keep up with the increasing cyber-attacks. If your business has a spread-thin team, it won’t be able to stay on top of every threat that may impact the business.

Therefore, during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it is essential for your business teams/employees to have cybersecurity awareness training.

Change your strategy: From “shame” to “praise”

In order to spark interest in the program and cultivate a secure team, your team members need to feel safe to learn and should be encouraged. Instead of shaming your team on the fact that they were recently attacked or could be attacked, change your strategy. You can be more encouraging by saying things like, “You are an important part of our security. We thank you for doing your best, but I know we can all do better.”

If you constantly tell your employees that they are the reason the security system is weak, they will be less likely to invest in the training.

Reward and recognize those people that do the right thing for security

Celebrate accomplishments during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. In the course of the awareness program, recognize, reward, and celebrate people who do well in the training program. With this, they will tell their other co-workers who will jump into or put more effort into the training.

You can also provide opportunities for team members to grow into a dedicated and security-conscious team.

Resources to Use to Cultivate a Secure Team

Training and bringing awareness is one of the main goals of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Constant training on cybersecurity is essential to cultivating a secure team. The more knowledgeable the teams are, the more secure they will be against cyber-attacks.

As a result, resources are provided during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. These resources are invaluable tools that help reduce cybersecurity risks and protect yourself online. 

Here are some free resources to get for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. These resources can help you promote good cyber hygiene this month and all year.

• A guide to Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022
• A sample email to send to employees and a press release for organizations
• A video conference background and email signature
• Cybersecurity Awareness Month logos and branding guidelines
• Social media graphics and sample social media posts
• Sample articles on
  • “The Anatomy of a Data Breach”
  • “Cybersecurity at Home”
  • “Cybersecurity in the Workplace.”
  • “4 Easy Ways to Stay Secure Online.”

• Tip Sheets and Infographics on
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Phishing
  • Passwords
  • Ransomware
  • Software Updates

Get these resources to help boost your cybersecurity program, promote a secure team, and be a Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champion.

Reach out to AhelioTech to help cultivate a secure team

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is the perfect time to build a culture of cybersecurity as well as promote good cyber hygiene. 

To receive guidance from experts during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, contact us.