Technology Alone Isn’t the Answer to Cyber Threats: Time to Rethink Security Culture

Introduction: Why should you focus on building a cybersecurity culture?

Technology-based defenses have undoubtedly grown sophisticated over the years, proving absolutely essential in fending off new and emerging attacks. But despite the growing sophistication of the tech tools at our disposal, why are breaches and cyber threats growing?

This is where the human element factors in.

It’s another regular day when your employees go through their usual email checks. But this time, an email catches their attention — from the CEO, with an urgent subject line, or maybe from an external agent promising something lucrative. The kicker? The email sender’s domain is almost identical to a trusted brand.

You might think the chances of your employees falling for this are slim since phishing awareness is high. However statistics show that phishing is the leading initial attack vector, responsible for 41% of incidents. So, on average, almost 17% of the entire workforce can be considered an active attack surface for phishing-related incidents.

A strong cybersecurity culture has been a leading concern for organizations, reinforced by research today such as Gartner, Microsoft Secure Future Initiative, and more. The focus around it only seems to be growing for 2025 and beyond.

A strongly ingrained security mindset provides essential protection against constant threats such as phishing, data leaks, malware infections, website hijacks, ransomware, account takeovers, and fraud—the list goes on. Not prioritizing cybersecurity culture and awareness means putting your company’s integrity, continuity, and profits at constant risk. 

While we examine the technological and psychological aspects of attacks, we often overlook the social element. Human layer protection is of the utmost concern and is addressed through a strong security culture.

First things first: Cybersecurity culture ≠ Security awareness

Are you just investing in namesake security training, or do you want to make sure your people act on the knowledge shared daily? There’s a great difference between security awareness and security behavior. Behavior needs to be construed and constantly practiced—repetitive behavior and practices form a culture. Security awareness is the surface-level information that informs and strengthens the cybersecurity culture, where employees have access to updated information about cyber risks, such as phishing and social engineering, and new threats like AI-driven manipulations, synthetic media, and more.

Process✅ Technology ✅People🤔 Are all your security culture fundamentals in check?

The Essential Interdependencies in Security Culture

Key Factors Driving Security Culture

1. Motivation: Awareness to perform security practices.
2. Ability: Access to tools that help uphold security practices.
3. Compliance and enforcement: There’s no better impetus for people to follow a certain practice than declaring it a mandate. The no-exceptions rule works for some ground-level essential hygiene practices but can’t be applied to situational awareness or activities.
4. Positive Reinforcement:

• Acknowledge and affirm good security behavior
• Managers set the tone—when they prioritize security, employees follow
• Build programs to reward and share good behavior practices
• Set benchmarks and provide knowledge sharing from management

The consequences of not investing in a strong cybersecurity culture are dire

Securing the integrity and availability of information in any organization is a shared responsibility extending beyond security teams. However, intentional and unintentional insider risks can arise, influenced by organizational factors such as environment, perimeter, and overall awareness and attitude toward information security.

Security posture gaps are inevitable because daily business activities require constant technology interactions. Failing to address these gaps only creates more opportunities for adversaries to infiltrate and disrupt an organization. Therefore, security hygiene practices and training should be consistent throughout the organization rather than a siloed initiative.

Driving Secure Behaviour: How to Build Cybersecurity Culture Effectively?

Security isn’t a discreet function where security leaders pull people into a boardroom each quarter with PowerPoint presentations on ‘why we need cybersecurity culture training’ or conduct annual compliance training and consider the job done. Instead, it’s about establishing a comprehensive process with incremental improvements, defined metrics, and tangible steps that truly build a lasting culture. So, how do you approach it?

1. Building and Defining a Program

The starting point is moving toward building a cybersecurity culture program, which should have the following:

• A definite purpose – What you want to accomplish and what you are trying to protect.
• Identified participants – Who needs to be involved?
• Clear and SMART goal-setting 

S – Specific

        M – Measurable

      A – Achievable

   R – Relevant

                                                                       T – Time-bound) outcomes that define success.

The program can be structured based on departments or job roles requiring general, intermediate, or in-depth security training, depending on:

• Data classification
• Active and passive risks
• Access to company information
• Level of awareness

For example, administrators will have different training than marketing/ sales teams.

Start with Company-Wide Workshops

• Build a Core Understanding of Cybersecurity Culture

What is Security Culture?
It’s the shared mindset and behaviors across the organization that prioritizes security. This includes understanding what employees are doing and why they’re doing it.

• Impact on the Organization and Individuals

A direct impact of working in an organization with a strong cybersecurity culture is reflected in behavior—taking responsibility for enhanced security, reducing risks, and strengthening the overall security posture against threats.

2. Leadership Agreement and Buy-In

Security culture must begin at the top, with leaders visibly supporting and prioritizing cybersecurity initiatives. Cybersecurity challenges often stem from a top-down misalignment within organizations. Management, executives, and board members must fully align with Information Security (IS), IT, and cybersecurity policies to ensure successful implementation.

Employees naturally look to leadership for direction. If executives do not value security, the rest of the organization is unlikely to.

Steps to Gain Leadership Consensus:

• Highlight the importance of cybersecurity in leadership meetings and integrate it into strategic discussions.
• Set up frequent reporting mechanisms.
• Incorporate security-related goals into overarching business objectives.
• Lead by example – ensure leadership adopts best practices like using MFA and attending cybersecurity training.
• Conduct tabletop exercises (TTX) and cyber-specific simulations to test preparedness, anticipate attacks, and help build response in crisis management.

3. Integrate Cybersecurity Culture into Company Culture

Cybersecurity culture needs to be embedded within the company culture. Aligning the values of company culture with security culture ensures that security practices become a natural part of everyday operations.

Leverage Company Values:

• Use existing company values as drivers for cybersecurity culture. If your company values collaboration, innovation, or accountability, frame security initiatives within those values to make them resonate with employees.

Set Behavioral Benchmarks

• Define acceptable security behaviors and make them the norm.
• Build “security champions” in every department—individuals who model good security behaviors and inspire others to follow suit.
• Group participants based on relevance, such as software-focused vs. non-software-focused teams.

4. Involving Employee in the Process

Employees are often the first line of defense against cybersecurity threats, so their active participation can make or break the program.

How to Engage Employees:

• Move beyond dull checkbox training and offer interactive, relevant sessions pertaining to their roles.
• Use engaging tools like phishing simulations and social engineering campaigns to test and improve awareness.
• Build an open reporting culture where employees can flag potential threats without fear, blame game, or repercussions.

5. Building Secure Habits

Frequent Awareness Communication:

• Security awareness should be a consistent part of communication, including regular updates on threats, company policies, and security best practices.

Targeted Training:

6. Create a Security-First Mindset

Behavior can only be built if it is purpose-driven. Organizations must help employees develop a sense of responsibility and accountability to integrate security into their daily workflows, business practices, and beyond.

7. Customize Security Initiatives

A strong security culture isn’t built on one-size-fits-all solutions. Security programs need to align with the organization’s structure, risk tolerance, workforce’s current stance, and future goals.

How to Tailor Security Programs:

8. Promote Open Communication and Teamwork

Employees should feel comfortable asking questions, voicing concerns, and seeking guidance—without fear of judgment.

Keeping everyone in the Loop with regular updates on threats, security wins, and best practices helps ensure security is always in mind.

Make Cybersecurity a Team Effort as security isn’t just an IT responsibility—everyone, from the front desk to the C-suite, plays a role.

9. Reinforce Positive Behaviors

Positive reinforcement builds lasting security habits.

Ways to Reinforce Good Security Behavior:

• Publicly acknowledge employees demonstrating strong security behaviors, such as reporting phishing attempts.
• Introduce friendly competitions or gamified activities to keep engagement high.
• Provide tangible incentives for participation in training or contributions to security initiatives.

SAPS Reward System:

• Status – Recognition, stars, and labels for top performers.
• Access – Exclusive invitations to events or recognition programs.
• Power – Empower security champions to have a say in policy-making, reviews, and decision-making.
• Stuff – Offer swag or merchandise as incentives for good behavior.

10. Measure and Monitor Cybersecurity Culture

Improvement requires measurement. Understanding your organization’s cybersecurity culture is essential for identifying weaknesses and tracking progress.

Defining Metrics to Measure Cybersecurity Culture Efforts:

• Incident Report Rate: How often do employees report suspicious activity or incidents to IT instead of ignoring them?
• Security Awareness Sharables: Track whether employees share valuable security information they encounter on social channels.
• Feedback Process for Incidents: Ensure employees reporting incidents are informed about outcomes.
• Tone from the Top: Assess whether senior executives are modeling the behaviors they want to promote.
• Self-Efficacy Reported Rates: Do employees feel confident engaging in cybersecurity practices?
• Restorative Just Culture: Does your company examine incidents through a learning curve rather than placing blame?

11. Address Resistance to Change

Resistance to change—especially from leadership or long-standing employees—is a common barrier.

Strategies to Overcome Resistance:

• Present a clear business case for security initiatives, highlighting their alignment with organizational goals.
• Share real-world examples or case studies that illustrate the consequences of neglecting cybersecurity.
• Involve stakeholders early to create a sense of ownership and shared responsibility.

12. Make Cybersecurity Culture a Continuous Effort

Cybersecurity culture isn’t something you can “set and forget.” It must evolve alongside the ever-changing threat landscape.

Closing the Gaps:

• Regularly update training materials and communication efforts.
• Incorporate cybersecurity best practices into onboarding for new hires.
• Conduct periodic reviews to ensure alignment with broader goals and regulatory changes.

Building a security-aware culture is not an end product but a continuous process. Continually assess whether your efforts are working, make necessary adjustments, and ensure security remains a core part of your organization’s culture.

Too many variables to consider? Build a concrete cybersecurity culture strategy with Group-IB

Security culture building requires a blueprint and clear objectives on how the processes and policies would translate into cyber protection from the inside. However, just like cybersecurity technologies, the culture needs to be enabled, cultivated, and grown stronger when it becomes an intrinsic part of the working of an organization. Oftentimes, companies translate security rigorous checks with delayed operations, too much hassle, or even unnecessary—but keeping in mind that humans are the weakest link, leading to a majority of cyber threats, if not all, it is the only viable solution for how you can robustly become cybersecurity. Cultivating a culture requires a clearly defined and communicated strategy, analyzing day-to-day behaviors, and finding and mending any gaps that arise along the way.

A convenient and effective option is to leverage the expertise of cybersecurity professionals who can help you enable it and convey results through in-depth analysis of your infrastructure, generating interest and responsibility around maintenance, reporting, benchmarking, and defining processes across roles.

Group-IB experts, with nearly two decades of working closely with companies, helping them establish strengthened security, know the challenges organizations face at human and organizational levels and can help businesses across industries define and draft a culture that can work for them.

Preceding culture building, a security assessment  gives our experts a view into potential loose ends and opportunities for development and establishes a tailor-made security training program for your organization.

Contact our experts to learn more about cybersecurity awareness, training for technical specialists, and audit and consulting services.