The Do's and Don'ts of Security Champion Programs

How Champion Programs Succeed and Fail in Modern Enterprise

Author

Stanley Harris
November 20, 2024

Hello Security Enthusiasts,

Welcome to this month's edition of the Security Champion newsletter! We're focusing on the essential "Do's and Don'ts" of Security Champion Programs to help you build a robust and effective security culture within your organization. Dive in to discover common pitfalls, expert advice, and valuable resources to enhance your security initiatives.

📰 Blog Feature: Top Ten Security Champion Blunders

Avoid the most common mistakes in building your Security Champion Program.

Katilyst’s latest blog post uncovers the top ten blunders organizations often make when establishing their Security Champion Programs. From lack of executive support to inadequate training, we delve into each misstep and provide actionable solutions to steer your program toward success.

Top 10 Blunders | Katilyst

Through a combination of conversations and firsthand experience, we have developed a sixth sense about the mistakes that are most commonly made over the lifetime of a champion program which lead to failures. These are the blunders that we’ve also made ourselves over the years, and we share the most common ones with you now in the hopes that you’ll be able to avoid these mistakes to maximize your chances of success in the future.

www.katilyst.com/top10blunders

📖 Insightful Read: Building a Security-Aware Culture

Learn how to cultivate a proactive security mindset across your team

Building a successful Security Champion program starts with addressing your organization’s values. We recommend starting with this informative piece from InfoSecurity Magazine, which explores strategies for embedding security awareness into your company culture. Discover how empowering employees as security champions can lead to a more resilient and vigilant workforce. And, find helpful tips for starting the culture change journey!

How Security Champions Programs Lead to Cultural Transformation

Security champions programs can have a significant impact on an organization’s cybersecurity culture, but only with the right planning and support mechanisms in place

www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news-features/security-champions-cultural

😂 Champion Comic Relief

📺️ Video Spotlight: Bringing Secure Coding Practices to Developers

A key component of a successful champion program is providing security training and skills to your software developers. When teaching secure coding, avoiding jargon and engaging developers in a relatable way is key. In this interview with Application Security Weekly, Katilyst’s Dustin Lehr emphasized the importance of making security training accessible by aligning it with how developers already work. Rather than treating it as just a checklist or unrelated exercise, security needs to be part of developers’ natural workflow and speak their language. Check out the video below to hear more!

📆 Upcoming Events & Podcasts

Closing Thoughts

Implementing a Security Champion Program is a journey of continuous learning and improvement. By understanding the common pitfalls and leveraging expert advice, you can create a program that not only strengthens your security posture but also fosters a culture of security awareness throughout your organization.

Thank you for being a part of our community committed to security excellence. Stay tuned for more insights and resources in our next edition!

Stay Secure,

The Katilyst Team