www.darkreading.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700::6810:e1ab  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Dark Reading is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC
Informa PLC|ABOUT US|INVESTOR RELATIONS|TALENT
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all
copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place,
London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales and Scotlan. Number 8860726.

Black Hat NewsOmdia Cybersecurity

Newsletter Sign-Up

Newsletter Sign-Up

Cybersecurity Topics

RELATED TOPICS

 * Application Security
 * Cybersecurity Careers
 * Cloud Security
 * Cyber Risk
 * Cyberattacks & Data Breaches
 * Cybersecurity Analytics
 * Cybersecurity Operations
 * Data Privacy
 * Endpoint Security
 * ICS/OT Security

 * Identity & Access Mgmt Security
 * Insider Threats
 * IoT
 * Mobile Security
 * Perimeter
 * Physical Security
 * Remote Workforce
 * Threat Intelligence
 * Vulnerabilities & Threats


World

RELATED TOPICS

 * DR Global

 * Middle East & Africa

See All
The Edge
DR Technology
Events

RELATED TOPICS

 * Upcoming Events
 * Podcasts

 * Webinars

SEE ALL
Resources

RELATED TOPICS

 * Library
 * Newsletters
 * Podcasts
 * Reports
 * Videos
 * Webinars
 * Whitepapers

 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * Partner Perspectives:
 * > Microsoft

SEE ALL


 * Cybersecurity Operations

Cybersecurity In-Depth: Feature articles on security strategy, latest trends,
and people to know.




4 WAYS TO HELP A SECURITY CULTURE THRIVE

Creating and nurturing a corporate environment of proactive cybersecurity means
putting people first — their needs, weaknesses, and skills.

Ken Deitz, CSO/CISO, Secureworks

June 13, 2024

5 Min Read
Source: Washington Imaging via Alamy Stock Photo


COMMENTARY

"Underneath every simple, obvious story about 'human error,' there is a deeper,
more complex story about organization."
— Sidney Dekker, The Field Guide to Understanding Human Error

In my experience, culture trumps strategy when building and maintaining robust
cyber defenses. It's a self-evident truth that in cybersecurity, all roads lead
back to people. At its heart, security is a human problem — one that needs a
human-centric solution. That's what makes culture so crucial.

It's often said that it's not the situation that defines us but how we respond.
If the worst happens and your company suffers a breach, your security culture
will be on the global stage. It will be your north star guiding how you
communicate, engage, and respond to all stakeholders. If your culture is
lacking, it will inhibit your long-term cyber maturity and fracture trusted
relationships. Trust and security exist in a delicate balance, and culture is
the glue that binds them together.



During my career I've learned valuable lessons about the core pillars of
security culture and how to not only create a good one, but nurture it as well.




1. ESTABLISH THE RIGHT MINDSET

First, mindset matters. I've worked with organizations where the focus has been
on everything that an employee can't or shouldn't do. Let's be honest: That's an
overwhelming list that, even with the best of intentions, people aren't going to
remember or be able to practically integrate into their working days. Instead, I
suggest flipping the script — what are the positive actions people can and
should take?



For example, if someone at Secureworks gets an email that they are unsure about,
they can just send it over to our designated threat team for investigation. The
threat team then comes back to let our teammate know whether it's OK.
Regardless, the threat team always starts their response with the same two
words: "thank you." Cybersecurity is a team sport, and each of us plays a part.
It's important to recognize that in all of its forms. That "thank you" also
provides encouragement to remain curious and vigilant.


2. ENGAGE WITH EMPATHY

A productive and inclusive security culture is one that shuns blame. A culture
of blame is counterproductive and makes your teammates feel powerless — the
exact opposite of how you want them to feel. If someone clicks, scans, or
interacts with something they shouldn't, you need to know as soon as possible.
If your culture points fingers and makes people feel shame, the chances are
they'll either procrastinate about telling you or not tell you at all, and the
first you'll know about it is when red lights start flashing. Cybercriminals
take advantage of people, so don't double the impact with victim-shaming or
making an example of the person. Instead, focus on what you can collectively
learn from the incident to enrich your cyber strategy for the future.




3. COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

When it comes to cybersecurity, there's no such thing as too much communication.
Just because you've sent an email or mentioned something in a company all-hands
meeting doesn't mean that the message has gotten across. People have a lot going
on in their jobs and lives. Meet people where they are, and you'll have much
better results.

First, do an audit of the communication channels that your business has —
intranet, Viva Engage, Slack, Teams, email, team and company meetings, etc. —
and devise a communications strategy. Which messages resonate best across which
channels? If you're giving an update on a strategic initiative, a 10-minute slot
in the company all-hands could be the appropriate forum. But if you're aware of
an active QR phishing email campaign, you likely want to reach all employees as
quickly as possible, so you might use a combination of email and internal
message boards.



It's not just about matching the right message to the right channel, but the
person as well. If I were the only person to talk to our Secureworks teammates
about cybersecurity, it would be easy to zone me out. That's why we empower all
leaders to talk about security in their team meetings and why our CEO
underscores our investments in this area during company meetings. Different
people bring different perspectives, and that's crucial to conveying the
importance of cybersecurity.


4. STAY ON YOUR TOES

New and emerging technologies bring opportunities and challenges. Generative
artificial intelligence (AI), for example, can offer teammates productivity
gains. But if you don't create a safe playground for them, they'll develop their
own ways to access and engage with these tools. This, again, comes back to
meeting people where they are. We've made it easy to interact with and use AI
within a safe environment that we've built. It's a win-win situation.

The threat landscape evolves rapidly. Deepfakes, for example, are becoming more
advanced and therefore have the potential to cause damage. Typically, they
cultivate a false sense of urgency aimed at panicking people into taking action,
such as transferring a large volume of money. Cybercriminals are looking to
manipulate the dynamic between the executive they are impersonating and the
employee. That's why it's so important we encourage people to question the
situation and give them access to simple tools that let them validate the
identity of the person they're talking to.


CYBERSECURITY IS A TEAM SPORT

What I've outlined above doesn't happen in isolation. You need to work across
many different functions within the business — from HR and communications
through to legal and beyond. Be clear about your shared objective with these
teams: why you would like their support and the impact you believe working
together will have. Share your plans and show them why their teams are so
integral to the plan's success. A shared goal galvanizes the whole business.



And so we find ourselves back at the beginning, with trust and security. A good
cybersecurity culture trusts and empowers teammates to make good decisions. In
turn, that trust fuels a more productive relationship between cybersecurity and
the business. Culture is a living entity that needs to be continuously nurtured.
Give it the dedication it needs, and your businesses will be safer as a result.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Ken Deitz

CSO/CISO, Secureworks

Ken Deitz serves as chief security officer and CISO at Secureworks, working his
way up from director of corporate incident response team. He served in the US
Navy as a lead analyst in global network exploitation, then became a senior
information security analyst at Advanced Concepts, Inc. He worked as branch
chief of fusion cell at United States Cyber Command until he joined Secureworks
in 2011.

See more from Ken Deitz
Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities,
data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to
your email inbox.

Subscribe

You May Also Like

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cybersecurity Operations

Feds Reportedly Try to Disrupt 'Volt Typhoon' Attack Infrastructure
Cybersecurity Operations

The CISO Role Undergoes a Major Evolution
Cybersecurity Operations

Cyber Employment 2024: Sky-High Expectations Fail Businesses & Job Seekers
Cybersecurity Operations

Google, Yahoo Push DMARC, Forcing Companies to Catch Up
More Insights
Webinars

 * Preventing Attackers From Wandering Through Your Enterprise Infrastructure
   
   June 19, 2024

 * Empowering Developers, Automating Security: The Future of AppSec
   
   June 27, 2024

More Webinars
Events

 * Black Hat USA - Aug 3-8 - The Premier Technical Cybersecurity Conference -
   Learn More
   
   August 3, 2024

 * Anatomy of a Data Breach - Dark Reading June 20 Event
   
   June 20, 2024

 * Black Hat Europe - December 9-12 - Learn More
   
   December 10, 2024

 * SecTor - Canada's IT Security Conference Oct 22-24 - Learn More
   
   October 22, 2024

More Events

Latest Articles in The Edge

 * 4 Ways to Help a Security Culture Thrive
   
   June 13, 2024
   |
   5 Min Read

 * Asset Management Holds the Key to Enterprise Defense
   
   June 12, 2024
   |
   2 Min Read

 * Process to Verify Software Was Built Securely Begins Today
   
   June 11, 2024
   |
   2 Min Read

 * Making Choices that Lead to Stronger Vulnerability Management
   
   June 10, 2024
   |
   4 Min Read

Read More The Edge





DISCOVER MORE WITH INFORMA TECH

Black HatOmdia

WORKING WITH US

About UsAdvertiseReprints

JOIN US


Newsletter Sign-Up

FOLLOW US



Copyright © 2024 Informa PLC Informa UK Limited is a company registered in
England and Wales with company number 1072954 whose registered office is 5
Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Home|Cookie Policy|Privacy|Terms of Use

Cookies Button


WE CARE ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY

We and our 841 partners store and/or access information on a device, such as
unique IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your
choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate
interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will
be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.Privacy Policy


WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS DATA TO PROVIDE:

Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for
identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised
advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research
and services development. List of Partners (vendors)

I Accept
Essential Only
Show Purposes



ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY

We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the
delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our
website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent and
legitimate interest. You may exercise your right to consent or object to a
legitimate interest, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in
the link under each purpose. These choices will be signaled to our vendors
participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
More information
Allow All


MANAGE CONSENT PREFERENCES

PERFORMANCE COOKIES

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.    All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you
do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and
will not be able to monitor its performance.

Cookies Details‎

FUNCTIONAL COOKIES

Functional Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages.    If you do not allow these cookies then
some or all of these services may not function properly.

Cookies Details‎

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms.    You can set your browser to
block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then
work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Cookies Details‎

TARGETING COOKIES

Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites.    They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
advertising.

Cookies Details‎

STORE AND/OR ACCESS INFORMATION ON A DEVICE 675 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE

Store and/or access information on a device

Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers,
randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other
information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported
technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each
time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes
presented here.

List of IAB Vendors‎ | View Illustrations 

PERSONALISED ADVERTISING AND CONTENT, ADVERTISING AND CONTENT MEASUREMENT,
AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND SERVICES DEVELOPMENT 801 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE

Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement,
audience research and services development

 * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT ADVERTISING 611 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data,
   such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your
   device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for
   example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * CREATE PROFILES FOR PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 497 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS
   PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit,
   content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about
   you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and
   other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or
   improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and
   personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present
   advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by
   this and other entities.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 492 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS
   PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising
   profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites
   or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests
   and personal aspects.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * CREATE PROFILES TO PERSONALISE CONTENT 219 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you
   submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with
   other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service
   or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or
   improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible
   interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to
   present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests,
   such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is
   even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED CONTENT 192 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content
   personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other
   services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible
   interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the
   order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to
   find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * MEASURE ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE 713 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you
   interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for
   you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For
   instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led
   you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to
   understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * MEASURE CONTENT PERFORMANCE 359 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact
   with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g.
   reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance,
   whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a
   product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you
   visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of
   (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * UNDERSTAND AUDIENCES THROUGH STATISTICS OR COMBINATIONS OF DATA FROM
   DIFFERENT SOURCES 453 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user
   profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your
   interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising)
   content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which
   target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain
   contents).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * DEVELOP AND IMPROVE SERVICES 535 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction
   with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and
   to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of
   audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or
   improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT CONTENT 122 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such
   as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device
   type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example,
   to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

List of IAB Vendors‎

USE PRECISE GEOLOCATION DATA 256 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS SPECIAL FEATURE

Use precise geolocation data

With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500
metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.

List of IAB Vendors‎

ACTIVELY SCAN DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS FOR IDENTIFICATION 125 PARTNERS CAN USE
THIS SPECIAL FEATURE

Actively scan device characteristics for identification

With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be
requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed
fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes
explained in this notice.

List of IAB Vendors‎

ENSURE SECURITY, PREVENT AND DETECT FRAUD, AND FIX ERRORS 507 PARTNERS CAN USE
THIS SPECIAL PURPOSE

Always Active

Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent
activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure
systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct
any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery
of content and ads and in your interaction with them.

List of IAB Vendors‎ | View Illustrations 

DELIVER AND PRESENT ADVERTISING AND CONTENT 500 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS SPECIAL
PURPOSE

Always Active

Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to
ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to
facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.

List of IAB Vendors‎ | View Illustrations 

MATCH AND COMBINE DATA FROM OTHER DATA SOURCES 357 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS FEATURE

Always Active

Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with
other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for
instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card
in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in
this notice.

List of IAB Vendors‎

LINK DIFFERENT DEVICES 328 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS FEATURE

Always Active

In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be
considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your
household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both
your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet
connection on both devices).

List of IAB Vendors‎

IDENTIFY DEVICES BASED ON INFORMATION TRANSMITTED AUTOMATICALLY 485 PARTNERS CAN
USE THIS FEATURE

Always Active

Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it
automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of
your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the
purposes exposed in this notice.

List of IAB Vendors‎
Back Button


COOKIE LIST



Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Confirm My Choices