The building blocks to construct a cyber-first culture

Date:
Thu, 21 May 2026 10:28:42 +0000

Description:
How to lay the foundations for a cyber-first mindset from the ground up.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Most organizations still treat cybersecurity as one teams job. But attackers are stretching teams to their limits as they waste no time in putting AI to work, with an 89%
year-over-year increase in AI-enabled adversary activity.

And threat actors arent just moving at record speed theyre also probing a broader attack surface of employee devices, each offering a new path into internal systems. Yet beyond the occasional training session, most employees arent thinking about cybersecurity day to day. The prevailing attitude in
many organizations is that one team has security covered, leaving everyone else to focus on innovation and growth. Latest Videos From You may like AI powers innovation but its also powering the next wave of cyber attacks The Human Risk Reckoning: Why security must evolve for an AI-augmented workforce When confidence becomes a risk: The gap between cyber resilience readiness
and reality Mike Arrowsmith Social Links Navigation

Chief Trust Officer at NinjaOne. This approach may have functioned in the past, but it wont cut it anymore. When attackers are targeting people as much as systems at rapid speed, security cant sit with just one team. It has to become part of how the entire organization operates. Every employee, every device, and every interaction now play a role in either strengthening or exposing the business.

So how do organizations shift from treating security as a function to embedding it into everyday operations? Lets take a look at how to lay the foundations for a cyber-first mindset from the ground up. Cyber security requires ownership from every part of the business Most businesses have a cyber strategy on paper. The challenge is turning that strategy into action. Too often, security training becomes a checkbox exercise. Completed quickly, rarely reinforced, and easily forgotten. When incidents occur, teams find themselves overwhelmed, unsure of responsibilities, or unclear on escalation paths slowing remediation times and leaving business operations unstable in the process.

This is where leadership plays a defining role. Building resilience requires more than approving budgets or policies, it requires cross functional buy-in to truly succeed. When executives actively participate in training,
contribute to simulations, and openly discuss lessons learned, cybersecurity shifts from an isolated technical concern and to an organizational priority. Action and accountability must start at the top in order to truly embed cyber in company culture. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners
or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms &
Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Identify pitfalls
ahead of time Effective incident response depends on clarity long before an incident occurs. Disaster recovery plans must be detailed, actionable, and tailored to the organization's specific environment. Every employee , particularly those in IT or security functions, should have a clear understanding of their specific role or their swim lane so there is no confusion about who does what when time is critical. The more detailed the disaster, the more efficient the recovery needs to be.

Disaster simulations are one way to create better cohesion between teams,
from IT to security to operations. Hands-on exercises help teams practice coordinated responses, clarify individual roles, and build trust across departments. Actively engaging employees with real-world challenges and exposing gaps in knowledge or process ensures that everyone knows how to respond when it matters most. Make cyber training contextual One of the reasons cybersecurity ownership breaks down is that training often feels abstract or disconnected from day-to-day work. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely resonates. Different teams face different threats, and education needs to reflect that reality. Take HR for example. Gartner predicts that by 2028, one in four candidate profiles worldwide will be fake. What to read next Four key areas in cybersecurity that need fresh thinking and actionable steps in 2026 Cyber resilience defines SME competitiveness Gartner: GenAI has broken traditional cybersecurity awareness what comes next?

As deepfake scams proliferate, HR teams require specialized training on what to look for in resumes and video interviews, and to reinforce identity verification procedures. The more organizations and individuals can contextualize how certain types of attacks might personally affect them or show up in their roles, the better prepared theyll be to identify and remediate threats before they can negatively impact business. Lean on tech to identify risky behavior Training builds awareness, but it also isnt (or shouldnt be) treated as a one-and-done event. Employee engagement and
regular, adaptive education lay the foundation for a positive culture of
cyber awareness. Technology has an important role to play in reinforcing good security behaviors and reducing reliance on perfect human judgement.

Unified IT operations on one platform, for example, can provide real-time monitoring of every endpoint (or device) across their organization. Consolidating endpoint management, autonomous patching, backup , and remote access into a single pane of glass enable both IT and security teams to quickly recognize common policy violations and risky employee behavior.

Platforms that also leverage automation can remediate system vulnerabilities before they become critical issues for the wider organization, minimizing downtime without disrupting employee productivity. Cybersecurity is
everybodys problem In 2026, organizations cant get away with treating cybersecurity as something layered on top. They need to recognize it as a
core function that underpins every aspect of what they do.

Executive leadership can reinforce this with investment, enablement, and action. Developing resilience requires organizations to rethink the way they view cybersecurity. From being a single entity to a shared responsibility
that touches every part of the business.

Change will take time, buy-in from leadership, and sustained investment. However, organizations that invest in resilience today will be better
equipped to combat threats, act quickly, and move through todays digital
world with confidence. We feature the best online learning platforms . This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives , our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit



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