Why Security Culture is a Leadership Discipline, Not a Training Module 

Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of acting as an augmented or virtual CISO, partnering with organizations across industries, and sitting in more conversations with CISOs than I can count. One thing I’ve consistently observed: an extremely common aspect behind the biggest breaches is not just a failed firewall or an alert that got buried — it’s cultural failure. 

Yet, in too many organizations, “security culture” is reduced to an annual e-learning course, a phishing simulation, or a mandatory policy acknowledgement. That’s not culture. 

Compliance vs. Culture: Spotting the Difference 

Compliance-driven awareness makes security a task. Tick the box, pass the test, move on. In contrast, culture-driven resilience makes security a value. It’s embedded into how people think, act, and challenge each other when something feels off. Awareness sparks recognition, training builds capability, but only culture ensures consistent action without prompting. The journey isn’t completed until you move from Awareness, to Training, to Culture. 

The difference shows up in the small moments: 

• Do employees feel safe reporting when they’ve clicked a malicious link, or do they fear being blamed? 

• Do executives actively participate in tabletop exercises, or roll their eyes at the inconvenience? 

• Are policies applied consistently across the business, or do senior leaders carve out exceptions for themselves? 

If the answer is the latter, the message is clear: security is for “them,” not for “us.” That double standard kills culture faster than any monotonous e-learning or phishing campaign ever could. 

Leadership’s Role: Culture Starts at the Top 

Security isn’t just an IT function; it’s a leadership discipline. And if the C-suite views security as a nuisance, the organization will absorb that attitude through osmosis. 

I’ve seen brilliant security programs undermined by senior leaders who demand exceptions: USB ports left open, personal devices (BYOD) with minimal controls, remote access without restrictions, disabling of MFA, and the list goes on. These shortcuts may be convenient in the boardroom, but they send a devastating message: “rules are for everyone else.” Employees notice, and if leadership doesn’t take security seriously, why should they? 

Policies only work when they apply universally. When exceptions are granted at the top, they don’t just weaken controls; they weaken trust and impact security culture.

Due to their approval authority and broad access, senior management has an outsized influence on both organizational risks. For example, think of a CFO approving a large bank transfer: the decision itself can introduce significant risk, but how it’s governed sets the tone for everyone else. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Culture Can’t Be Built in Isolation 

True security culture isn’t just an IT or even a leadership issue; it needs to be woven through every function. HR shapes onboarding and performance management, legal embeds compliance into contracts and risk frameworks, marketing influences how security is communicated internally and externally, and external experts can provide fresh perspectives and benchmark best practices. When these functions collaborate, security messaging is reinforced at every touchpoint, making it part of how the whole organization operates, not just how IT operates. 

Behavioral Change is the True Metric 

Real progress isn’t measured in completion rates. It’s measured in behavior. 

Do employees lock their screens, report phishing attempts, and escalate issues without hesitation? Do leaders model the same behaviors, or exempt themselves from the rules? 

Behavioral models like BJ Fogg’s “Motivation × Ability × Trigger” help explain why culture often fails. Employees need: 

• Motivation: the “why” it matters, not just for the company, but for them personally

• Ability: the tools and knowledge to do the right thing without friction 

• Triggers: timely cues and reminders

Miss one of these, and behavior won’t change. Get them right, and security becomes second nature. 

Regulators Are Raising the Stakes 

For years, security leaders have been saying that culture matters. Now regulators are making it explicit. 

Take GDPR: it wasn’t just about technical controls; it put accountability on organizations to demonstrate that people, processes, and behaviors were aligned with data protection principles. Fast-forward to the DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) in the financial sector, and we see a completely new level of emphasis, where boards are being held directly responsible for cyber resilience rather than just IT teams. 

This means culture is no longer a “nice to have” or a soft objective. If boards can’t evidence that security is embedded across the business (in strategy, behaviors, and decision making) they’ll face real regulatory and reputational consequences. 

In practice, that means directors and executives can’t simply sign off on budgets and delegate responsibility. They need to participate, model behavior, and demand transparency. A culture of exceptions, shortcuts, or silence will no longer be tolerated, and might even result in fines. 

From Awareness to Advantage 

When security culture matures, it does more than prevent breaches. It builds trust with regulators, resilience in the face of disruption, and even competitive advantage. 

I often remind boards and executives that compliance keeps you out of trouble, but culture keeps you in business. Compliance is the floor. Culture is the multiplier, or the exponential component, which helps improve overall resilience. 

And if your culture says, “security is optional for leaders,” don’t be surprised when the rest of the organization follows suit. 

Final Thoughts on Security Culture 

Whether acting as a CISO, partnering with one, or advising boards directly, the lesson is always the same – culture is not about phishing tests, or e-learning. Those are tools.

Culture is about leadership discipline. It’s about whether the C-suite lives by the same rules they impose on everyone else, in conjunction with the right processes and behaviors. Security should be woven into every employee's decision-making, treated with the same seriousness as fire safety, and made visible through posters, reinforced in town halls, and embedded across the workplace.  

If we get that right, our people will stop being the weakest link and start becoming our strongest line of defense. 

To guide you on this journey from security awareness to security culture, download our eBook Beyond Awareness: Building a Cybersecurity Culture for Long-Term  Resilience. The book explores how to assess your current cybersecurity culture program and ways to move it forward. Alternatively, if you need help to improve your security culture, reach out to speak with an expert advisor from Bitdefender Cybersecurity Advisory Services.