Company culture drives everything. It’s what gets people fired up to do their best work. It’s what keeps employees engaged, loyal, and pushing toward the company’s goals. 

It’s also what keeps them from clicking on that “urgent” email from the fake CEO asking for gift cards. 

If you’re building a strong business, you already know how important culture is. It’s the difference between a team that shows up and a team that shows up. You hire for attitude, not just skill. You reward behaviors that align with your values. You tell stories about wins and rally people around a shared mission. 

But here’s what most business leaders miss: Culture isn’t just about productivity and morale—it’s your first line of defense against cyber threats. 

Security Is a Culture Problem, Not a Tech Problem 

Think about it. When was the last time one of your employees got excited about cybersecurity? Probably never. 

Now think about how you build company culture. You create momentum. You hire the right people. You set expectations. You reinforce them every day, in meetings, in conversations, in how you run your business. 

What if you did the same thing with security? 

Imagine if your employees saw spotting a phishing attack as a win—not just another boring compliance task. Imagine if your team told stories about blocking an attack the same way they tell stories about closing a big deal. 

Bad Culture Breeds Bad Security 

You know what kills productivity? Hiring the wrong people. Letting bad habits slide. Allowing apathy to fester. 

The same is true for security. 

  • If you have employees who don’t care about the company, do you really think they care about protecting it?
  • If your team never talks about security, do you think they’ll recognize a threat when it shows up?
  • If security is treated like an annoying afterthought, how fast do you think they’ll click the next phishing link?

Security isn’t just about having the right tools in place. It’s about building a culture where security matters. 

You Are the Culture Custodian—Own It 

As a leader, your job isn’t just to keep the business running—it’s to protect it. 

If you let toxic employees stick around, they’ll poison your culture. If you let apathy creep in, your business will stall. And if you ignore cybersecurity, you’re inviting hackers in through the front door. 

The companies that survive and thrive aren’t just the ones with great strategies. They’re the ones with strong cultures. And strong cultures don’t just do security. They live it. 

So, next time you think about your company’s culture, ask yourself: Is security part of it? 

 Because if it’s not, it’s only a matter of time before that “urgent” email gets answered—and you’ll be the one dealing with the fallout.