How to Get Employee Buy-In for Cybersecurity in Small Businesses
How to Get Employee Buy-In for Cybersecurity in Small Businesses
When it comes to cybersecurity, your people can be your strongest defense—or your biggest weakness.
Across Pennsylvania, small businesses are investing in firewalls, backup systems, and antivirus software. But without employee buy-in, even the best technology can be rendered useless by a single careless click.
It’s not enough to just deploy tools. You need a culture where every employee sees cybersecurity as part of their job, not just the IT department’s problem.
At NextGEN IT Solutions, we’ve seen the damage caused when staff aren’t informed, engaged, or motivated to protect the business. The good news? With the right approach, you can turn your team into your first line of defense.
The Human Risk Factor
Most cyber incidents don’t start with hackers breaking through firewalls. They start with:
- An employee clicking on a phishing link
- A reused or weak password
- A sensitive file sent to the wrong person
- An unauthorized app installed on a work device
- A lost laptop with unencrypted data
These are not high-tech attacks. They’re simple human errors.
And they’re responsible for over 82% of breaches in small and midsized businesses, according to the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report.
Real Example: Phishing Test Failure in Erie County
A professional services firm in Erie hired us to perform a phishing simulation. Over 40% of their employees clicked the fake link—and 12% entered credentials.
They had endpoint protection and backups, but without employee awareness, they were just one real email away from a serious incident.
We implemented training, updated policies, and ran a second simulation 60 days later. Click rates dropped to under 5%.
Why Employee Buy-In Matters
Security awareness isn’t just about avoiding mistakes. It’s about creating a mindset.
Without buy-in, employees will:
- Bypass security protocols for convenience
- View training as a nuisance
- Ignore update and patch reminders
- Delay reporting suspicious activity
- Undermine policies with shadow IT
But when they understand the why behind cybersecurity—and feel part of the solution—they’ll take ownership, speak up, and help protect your business.
How to Build a Security-First Culture
At NextGEN IT Solutions, we help businesses turn passive users into engaged participants. Here’s the process we recommend.
1. Start with Leadership
Cybersecurity culture starts at the top. If business owners and managers don’t take it seriously, employees won’t either.
We work with leadership to:
- Build awareness of actual risk exposure
- Set the tone for company-wide accountability
- Integrate security into everyday decision-making
- Allocate time and budget for training
This alignment is crucial for long-term change.
2. Make Training Relevant and Accessible
Too many training programs are dull, overly technical, or once-a-year checkboxes.
We offer modern, engaging training that:
- Covers real-world threats like phishing, ransomware, and social engineering
- Includes video-based, interactive content
- Takes under 10 minutes per module
- Tracks completion and performance
- Can be customized to your industry
We also reinforce lessons with quarterly phishing simulations to test employee readiness.
3. Promote Reporting Without Punishment
Employees should feel comfortable reporting mistakes or suspicious behavior without fear.
We help establish:
- Non-punitive reporting processes
- Fast response systems for clicked links or accidental disclosures
- Clear communication channels (email, ticketing, or call-in)
This improves early detection and reduces damage when something goes wrong.
4. Gamify and Incentivize Participation
Employees are more likely to engage when there’s a reward. We help our clients implement:
- Recognition for simulation “Top Performers”
- Friendly department-level competitions
- Security awareness raffles or bonuses
- Certificates of completion for training
It’s not about scaring your staff—it’s about motivating them to care.
5. Customize Policies and Communication
We write clear, human-friendly cybersecurity policies that make expectations easy to understand.
Topics include:
- Acceptable use of devices and software
- Password management and MFA usage
- File sharing and data handling
- Reporting procedures
- Remote work and BYOD guidelines
We also provide managers with monthly security tips to share with their teams.
6. Integrate Cybersecurity Into Onboarding
The best time to introduce cybersecurity culture is from day one.
We help clients:
- Add security training to new hire onboarding
- Include policy signoffs with employment paperwork
- Issue secure access credentials and MFA on day one
- Provide tips for staying secure inside and outside the office
This reinforces that security isn’t optional—it’s part of the job.
The Results
Our clients who invest in building a security culture consistently report:
- Lower phishing simulation failure rates
- Fewer support tickets related to malware or breaches
- Improved audit outcomes
- Greater cyber insurance eligibility
- A more security-aware and tech-savvy workforce
Even non-technical staff can become cybersecurity champions when given the tools and encouragement.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Cybercriminals are targeting small businesses not just with ransomware, but with:
- Impersonation scams
- Payroll fraud
- Invoice redirection
- Credential theft
- Vendor compromise
These attacks succeed because employees don’t recognize the signs. A firewall won’t stop someone from transferring $15,000 to the wrong account because they were tricked by a fake email.
Training and buy-in close that gap.
Who Needs This?
If you’ve experienced any of the following, employee buy-in should be a top priority:
- Staff have fallen for phishing attempts
- You rely on cloud apps like Microsoft 365
- You’ve had incidents of accidental data sharing
- Employees ignore password rules or updates
- You’ve failed a security audit or simulation
- You’re pursuing cyber insurance or compliance certification
Whether you have 5 employees or 500, your human layer is part of your cybersecurity strategy.
Why Work with NextGEN IT Solutions?
We’ve helped dozens of businesses across Western PA—law firms, manufacturers, dental offices, schools, nonprofits—build a resilient cybersecurity culture.
We offer:
- Security awareness training and simulations
- Onboarding integration
- Policy development
- vCISO services for planning and support
- Monthly reporting and tracking
And because we’re local, we understand your industry, your staff, and the pressures you face.
Ready to Build a Security-Minded Team?
Let’s start with a free Employee Security Engagement Assessment. We’ll evaluate:
- Your current training and policy gaps
- Staff performance on recent threats
- Opportunities to boost buy-in and participation
- Recommended rollout plan and timeline
Call us at 724-204-1950
Or schedule a consult at nextgen-itsolutions.com/contact
Final Thoughts
Cybersecurity isn’t just about the tools you use—it’s about the people who use them.
A single click can lead to disaster. But with the right mindset and training, your team can become your strongest defense against threats.
Let’s make cybersecurity part of your company culture—starting today.
