Business owners and leaders are busy leading their companies and putting out the fires that come with running a successful organization. Unfortunately, that could lead you to take your cybersecurity for granted, which could result in a very costly data breach or cyber-attack. Thankfully, there are effective ways to ensure you don’t neglect your defenses. One of them is by appointing a cybersecurity champion for your organization. That refers to an individual who will advocate for and lead the charge in protecting your organization’s sensitive information and systems.
What does it mean to be a cybersecurity champion? And more importantly, how can you become one?
Intelligent Technical Solutions (ITS) is a cybersecurity services provider that has also served as cybersecurity champions for small to midsize businesses (SMBs).
In this article, we’ll dive into what it takes to become a cybersecurity champion as well as the steps you need to take.
What Does It Mean to Be a Cybersecurity Champion?
A cybersecurity champion is a proactive advocate for security within their organization. They lead by example, drive awareness, and foster a culture of vigilance against cyber threats. More than just an expert in security tools, a champion bridges the gap between technical teams and other departments, ensuring everyone understands their role in protecting the organization.
Cybersecurity champions are the go-to resources for education, advice, and troubleshooting when it comes to protecting your company’s digital assets. Their goal is to embed cybersecurity best practices into the business’ day-to-day operations and long-term strategy.
5 Reasons Why Cybersecurity Champions Are Important
Having a cybersecurity champion for your business is critical because they act as the bridge between technical defenses and everyday operations. Here’s why it's essential:
1. Builds a Security-First Culture
A strong security culture starts with individuals who are passionate about the cause. Cybersecurity champions help create an environment where employees prioritize security in their decisions and actions. They promote awareness across your organization, encouraging employees to adopt secure practices in their daily tasks.
2. Helps with Compliance
Many industries require stringent security measures to comply with regulations like The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Cybersecurity champions ensure these standards are met, protecting your organization’s reputation and helps you avoid hefty fines.
3. Empowers Your Team to Identify and Mitigate Risks Early
With a cybersecurity champion in place, employees have someone to turn to for guidance on suspicious emails, weak passwords, or safe data handling practices. These activities can help your team spot vulnerabilities before they become serious threats, ensuring your business stays ahead of potential cyberattacks.
4. Enhances Incident Response
When it comes to data breaches, time is crucial. If a security incident occurs, having a cybersecurity champion can help you respond more quickly. They can swiftly coordinate the initial response, minimizing damage and downtime.
5. Proactive Defense
Cybersecurity champions empower organizations to be proactive, identifying vulnerabilities before they can be exploited and fostering resilience against future threats. That ultimately reduces the chances that your organization will suffer from any cyber threats.
In essence, a cybersecurity champion is not just an IT role—it's a business-critical function that strengthens your defenses, educates your team, and supports overall resilience.
8 Steps to Become a Cybersecurity Champion
Business leaders and employees are busy doing the critical work that has to be done to help a business grow. All of this work could become a secondary thought if there was a cyber breach taking out critical company systems. Because of this, every business needs to appoint a cyber champion who will help ensure the systems being used are protected.
The below is what is required if your team chooses an internal resource (so you know how to ensure their skills are sufficient to help protect the business.)
Step 1: Build Your Cybersecurity Knowledge and Authority
An important first step towards becoming a cybersecurity champion is to build your knowledge and authority. Begin by mastering foundational concepts such as risk management, security frameworks, data encryption, etc. Understanding the basics will equip you to recognize and address common threats effectively.
After that, you should then establish your authority by gaining certifications like CompTIA Security+, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), or Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) to validate your skills. These credentials not only enhance your knowledge but also establish your credibility.
Completing this step will ensure you have the technical skills and the trust among peers and leadership to be a credible advisor for your organization.
Step 2: Develop Practical Skills
The next step you need to take is to familiarize yourself with essential security tools such as Managed Detection & Response (MDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, and endpoint protection software. Knowing how to use these tools effectively is crucial for implementing robust defenses.
Step 3: Assess Your Organization’s Security Landscape
The third step is to take an objective look at your organization’s efforts thus far. Work with IT teams and use your new knowledge to evaluate your organization’s vulnerabilities, review current security measures, and pinpoint areas that need improvement. It’s also crucial to learn about regulatory requirements specific to your organization, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or CMMC. Understanding these standards ensures your security strategies align with your organization’s goals.
Step 4: Promote a Security-First Culture
The next step can be a challenging feat, but it’s one of the more important ones. You need to promote a security-first culture across your organization. To do that you need to lead by example by demonstrating best practices yourself. You also need to provide ample opportunities for learning such as conducting security awareness training and running cyber-attack simulations regularly.
The bottom line is that you want to foster an environment where people aren’t afraid of reporting suspicious activity, and where cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility, not just the IT team’s.
Step 5: Foster Collaboration Across Your Organization
As we’ve mentioned before, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. It takes your entire organization pitching in to be effective. That’s why you need to engage your organization’s leadership as well as the different departments across the organization. You need to ensure that these different teams are working together, and that cybersecurity is integrated into every aspect of the organization’s operations.
To do that you will need to communicate the business impact of cybersecurity, translating technical risks into language executives understand (e.g., potential financial losses or reputational damage). You will also have to work closely with IT and cybersecurity teams to align company initiatives with security best practices.
Step 6: Take Initiative
One of the main objectives of a cybersecurity champion is to stay ahead of all forms of security incidents. That means you not only need to identify gaps in existing policies and propose actionable solutions, but also you need to monitor for potential threats and address them proactively. You can do that by implementing the right tools to monitor your environment as well as staying informed on emerging threats.
Step 7: Track and Report Progress
Use analytics tools to measure the impact of your strategy. Track metrics such as the success rate of phishing simulations, average incident response times, and compliance audit scores to evaluate the effectiveness of your efforts. It can help you highlight your success and spot areas for improvement.
Sharing updates regularly with leadership and employees foster trust and underscore the importance of cybersecurity.
Step 8: Leverage External Resources
It can be tough to do all these steps alone. Thankfully, you don’t need to do everything on your own. You can always partner with experts. Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) or external consultants can help you address complex security challenges and strengthen your organization’s defenses.
Need Help Becoming an Effective Cybersecurity Champion?
Becoming a cybersecurity champion isn’t just about mastering technical skills; it’s about inspiring others to join the fight against cyber threats. By taking the initiative to educate yourself, lead by example, and foster a culture of security, you can make a lasting impact on your organization’s safety and success.
Remember, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, but champions ensure it remains a top priority.
If you need help stepping up and becoming the advocate your organization needs, reach out to one of our experts at ITS. You can schedule a free consultation with us today, so we can help you assess your organization’s current security efforts. You can also check out the following for more information on how to build a safe cyber culture for your organization:
- How Can Leaders Create a Cyber Culture [Video]
- 7 Steps to Build a Safe Online Culture for Your Business
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