Building a Cyber-Aware Culture: A Small Business Guide for IT Leaders

Translate Security Into the Language of Business

First, assume that most of your colleagues are less familiar with the risks than you are. People outside of IT often don’t think about cyber risk because they’re focused on their own responsibilities.

One way to educate people who don’t fully grasp the nuances of cybersecurity is to adopt the language used throughout the organization to discuss business topics. Learn what motivates key stakeholders and craft your story with the same language.

Cybersecurity isn’t just about stopping threats. Strong security protects revenue, earns trust and gives your team the confidence to try new things. In other words, it’s not just a safeguard, it’s a way to support growth. Framing it this way helps leadership see security as a foundational enabler for sustainable growth instead of just a cost center or compliance requirement.

READ: CDW's 2024 cybersecurity report reveals how IT leaders are managing the threat landscape.  

It’s also worth your time to learn what your key stakeholders value. What might motivate them to take cybersecurity seriously? For example, a sales leader might worry about maintaining trust with customers and prospects, so emphasize how a breach erodes that trust and kills deals.

Are you meeting with the board of directors, department heads or frontline staff? Each group cares about different things. A board might want to understand risk exposure. Managers may be more focused on protecting day-to-day operations. Shape your message to reflect their priorities and responsibilities. That’s how you get people to pay attention.

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All Employees Should Know Their Cyber Roles

Keep your audience’s attention by focusing on their areas of responsibility. These can include the company’s reputation, regulatory compliance and ROI. Help everyone understand how their actions contribute to cyber resilience and how this can protect the organization from unpredictable and potentially destructive cyber incidents.

If you’re doing a presentation, use graphics and other visuals as much as you can, but don’t overwhelm your audience with data. Identify the key points you need to make and use only the data that proves those points.

Everyone has a role to play in keeping the business safe, so after you’ve educated the team on the risks of a cyberattack, it’s time to parcel out responsibilities. Ensure you are clear with all team members on how they can contribute to the organization’s cybersecurity posture and how their roles fit into the overall strategy.

Their level of understanding should become clear when you conduct a tabletop exercise, which every organization regularly should. In these simulations, participants assume specific roles and receive information over time — some of it useful, some merely distracting, just as in a real scenario. The goal is to assess the situation, filter the noise and coordinate a response. These exercises build muscle memory, uncover communication gaps and align your team before a crisis hits. 

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