By guest blogger Cassie Phillips
[January 19, 2016] It might not be the most glamorous part of the job, but as a leader, you need to provide an environment where everyone feels safe. While most people would think of physical security, there are fortunately few violent incidents to deal with in today’s world. What I’m talking about is your organization’s data and digital security, and how a data breach can ruin a company or leak the information of team members leaving their identities at risk and their safety in question.
Here are the reasons why you need to be aware of and take an active part in your organization’s security strategy:
You Set the Mood and Allocate the Resources
Good leaders take the initiative instead of waiting for an employee or team member to summon the courage to request that you handle the situation. In a worst case scenario, you’ll find yourself reacting to an emergency which will take many times the resources some simple preparations would cost. You should at the very least come up with a workplace security plan and do the following:
Make sure that you have the proper tools, such as a security suite and firewall, installed on every organizational device. If you allow security to be lax, then people won’t consider it to be a priority.
Have people use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when they are outside the office. It allows them to connect to an offsite server and protects them. It even allows for anonymous internet browsing, so people you have travelling can access otherwise blocked content and communications.
Update everyone on a regular basis as to new threats and possibilities. Every three months is a good baseline to start from.
You Are Ultimately Responsible
Good leaders take responsibility for those under them and the results of their preparations . They know that if a security breach were to occur that it would fall on their shoulders to handle to or take the blame for the consequences. You are ultimately responsible for the people around you so a good leader looks ahead and knows that security is worth the trouble to install and maintain. If a person asks about the effort, you need to explain this responsibility towards data security and what could arise from a breach.
Leadership Involves Risk Management
After a certain point, you will have to let go and say that for the present moment you are secure enough. The main problem with this is that most leaders take this as license to stop too soon and leave vital gaps open. You can’t prepare for things that don’t exist yet, despite what some consultants and “advisors” would have you think. You need to manage the risks of today and reasonably consider the risks of tomorrow. Balance is key, and once you are confident in the skills of your team members, you can leave it to them to handle the day-to-day tasks.
Do you have any thoughts on how a good leader can implement security into their culture and strategy for the future? Have you already done this and would like to talk about its effectiveness? If so, please leave a comment below and join the conversation.
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Biography: Cassie Phillips is an internet security enthusiast and blogger. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with other bloggers so they don’t make the same mistakes.