A cyber-aware culture lessens vulnerabilities by embedding secure practices into daily operations and reinforcing accountability.
In our last post, we discussed how vendor oversight is both an opportunity and a responsibility for financial institutions. Equally important is training your greatest asset — your people — to become a consistent line of defense through a strong culture of cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month often sparks a burst of short-term activity: posters in branches, simulated phishing emails, or a quick reminder to employees. These efforts are valuable, but lasting resilience requires more than a seasonal campaign.
For community financial institutions, the most effective defense is a culture of cybersecurity, one that extends throughout the year and becomes part of everyday behavior.
Why strong cybersecurity culture is essential in financial services
Technology investments, while critical, can’t eliminate risk on their own. Human error continues to be the leading cause of breaches, from weak passwords to misdirected emails. A cyber-aware culture lessens these vulnerabilities by embedding secure practices into daily operations and reinforcing accountability across all levels of the organization.
Moving beyond “check-the-box”
To foster meaningful culture change, financial institutions should shift away from compliance-driven awareness toward continuous engagement. Key strategies include:
- Year-round training — Provide short, relevant sessions monthly instead of relying on a single annual module.
- Board engagement — Keep cyber on the board agenda with clear metrics and updates that non-technical leaders can understand.
- Gamification and incentives — Make learning engaging by incorporating competitions, recognition, and real-world examples employees can relate to.
- Integrated governance — Align awareness efforts with documented policies, escalation paths, and consistent follow-through.
Indicators of cybersecurity cultural maturity in financial services
Financial institutions with a strong cyber culture notice employees reporting suspicious activity promptly, leaders modeling secure behavior, and gradual improvement in phishing simulation results. Awareness becomes less about annual campaigns and more about an ongoing dialogue adapting as threats evolve.
How CLA can help financial institutions with cybersecurity
Cybersecurity culture is not built overnight, nor is it sustained by a once-a-year push. By treating awareness as a continuous investment, just like technology or vendor oversight, community financial institutions can turn employees from potential vulnerabilities into their strongest defense.
CLA works with financial institutions to design tailored training, leadership briefings, and governance structures that create sustainable cultural change. Our approach helps institutions go beyond compliance to build true resilience, positioning them to handle today’s threats, and those still to come.
This concludes our four-part Cybersecurity Awareness Month series. Together, we’ve explored how to extend cyber protection outward to communities, align cybersecurity with strategic planning, strengthen vendor oversight, and build lasting culture. Taken together, these actions help financial institutions move from reactive to resilient.