Cyber Literacy

Literacy is fundamental. If you can read, you can learn anything.

Cybersecurity requires the same campaign that started in 1966 to enhance the literacy of the US. We, as cybersecurity professionals, have a charge to provide literacy to our organizations. We must serve as the coach, mentor, and trainer to our business leaders to facilitate the learning and proficiency required to enable the business to make risk-based decisions.

We, as cybersecurity professionals, have a charge to become proficient in the language of business. We must be armed with the skill of translating technical language into business language.

How do we accomplish these tasks and contribute to the business becoming literate in cybersecurity?

• Conduct 1-on-1s with your peers. This facilitates the discussions which discover their concerns. You then can tailor your training to relatable topics.
• Understand the goals, objectives, and mission of the organization. Begin to speak about how your cybersecurity program contributes to those items.
• Provide micro-educational topics regularly to the business.
• Offer to speak to business units; communicate to and with them how they are used to communicating.
• Listen. Learn what folks are attempting to accomplish and provide facilitating and enabling solutions that reduce risk. Help them get there.
• Observe how the CFO and the accounting industry developed business leaders to comprehend what they do and learn.

What other ways are you contributing to the cybersecurity literacy at your organization? Be that coach, mentor, trainer. Lead by example.