With threat actors, nation states and the risk that comes from within, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) face a formidable challenge: ensuring up to date cyber security measures in an era of constant change.

Gone are the days when cyber security was solely the domain of the IT department. With today’s risk landscape it requires an all-of-organisation approach, and stringent proactive measures.

Kinetic IT Group Executive – Government, Wayne Berriman, says organisational change is a key consideration that is still often overlooked.

“It’s about maturing cyber security across the entire organisation,” he explains. “Along with your own staff and contractors there are very few organisations now that aren’t multi-vendor environments – even if they’re not on site with you.”

“It starts with convincing your staff that they all have a role to play, and building a desire to get involved. Being clear about policies, guidelines, procedures and embedding those through structured awareness and training programs as part of your organisational change program – is critical,” Wayne says.

“Think about how you embed cyber in your organisation: involve your C-suite, your HR department, your finance team, your communications team and others. It’s the same as trying to change a culture in an organisation, it needs a widespread, multidisciplined approach.”

CIOs need to focus on risk alignment

Kevin O’Sullivan, Head of Cyber and Information Security at Kinetic IT, emphasise the need for CIOs to focus on risk alignment. “Cyber security isn’t just a technology issue. It’s about understanding and managing risk across all aspects of the organisation — people, processes, information, and technology.”

Supporting your workforce with cyber security awareness training, for example, can help bring the organisation on the culture change journey, Kevin says.

Wayne’s key advice to CIOs is think about who you work with. “From our point of view, work with a trusted partner or partners – pick one or two and forge ahead.”

Kevin added: “The resources available especially through the Australian Cyber Security Centre and Australian Signals Directorate are really great, rich sources of information – that’s really good place to start.”

Five reasons why you should embed a cyber security culture

1. Enhanced resilience: A strong cyber security culture ensures that government agencies are better equipped to withstand and recover from cyber-attacks, minimising disruptions to critical services.
2. Improved trust and confidence: By demonstrating a commitment to cyber security, government can instil trust and confidence among citizens, businesses, and other stakeholders, enhancing reputation and credibility.
3. Effective risk management: An embedded culture of cyber security promotes proactive risk management practices, allowing empowering staff to identify, assess, and mitigate potential threats more effectively.
4. Protection of sensitive data: By empowering employees to recognize and respond to potential threats quickly and confidently Departments can reduce the risk of data breaches.
5. Foster innovation: A cyber security-aware culture encourages innovation by fostering an environment where employees can be confident in exploring new technologies and solutions without fear of compromising sensitive information.

Find out more about Kinetic IT’s tailored solutions for government.