Key Metrics and KPIs for Cyber Security Behavior and Culture

Key Metrics and Performance Indicators (KPIs) serve as crucial benchmarks for businesses, offering a clear gauge of progress towards specific goals and long-term objectives. In a highly quantifiable field like cyber security, KPIs are the perfect solution to effectively measure the effectiveness of security protocols and identify areas for improvement.

So, what if your goal is to foster a generally stronger cyber security culture? How do you measure employee behavior towards that goal? In this article, we’ll discuss the value of KPIs and outline the information security metrics to focus on to evaluate and improve security behavior.

Why is it Important to Track Cyber Security Behavior and Culture?

Verizon found that 74% of data breaches in 2023 were caused by human error. Thus, improving employee behavior and fostering a culture of security should be key focus areas for any cyber security program.

However, cyber security is not a set-it-and-forget-it discipline. It requires constant evaluation, adjustment, and improvement to be able to respond to increasingly sophisticated risks and threats. This is especially true for employee behavior, which can fluctuate with changes in personnel, habits, or shifts in the organization’s culture.

By measuring specific KPIs, you can gain valuable insights into the everyday security habits, routines, and practices within your organization. KPIs provide quantifiable metrics, allowing you to assess how employees are responding to security initiatives or policies. Let’s say you have a security awareness program. You can use metrics to see the program’s engagement. If it’s not looking good, it may be time to consider alternatives, such as switching to a more gamified solution.

As a security leader, you may have also struggled to secure funding for these projects in the past. But with measurable KPIs, you will have no problem translating the benefits of security programs into business terms, gaining broader buy-in from executives and the board.

What Are the Main Metrics to Consider When Measuring Cyber Security Culture and Behavior?

Now that we’ve discussed how KPIs enable continuous improvement in cyber security culture, let’s look at the metrics you should monitor to maximize the effectiveness of your security protocols. To do so, we’ll divide the metrics into several key categories:

Training and Awareness:

• Training completion rates: Percentage of employees completing cyber security training.
• Phishing simulation success rates: Number of employees who correctly handle simulated phishing attempts.
• Employee cyber security assessment scores: Results of regular knowledge assessments.
• Security awareness campaign engagement: Level of employee engagement in cyber security awareness initiatives.

Policy Adherence and Compliance:

• Policy compliance rates: The degree to which employees adhere to cyber security policies.
• Password compliance: Determines whether employees follow password-related guidelines, such as password length or change after a period of time.
• User access compliance: Effectiveness in managing and adhering to user access rights.
• Software update compliance: Timeliness of applying software patches and updates.
• Number of repeat offenses: Frequency of repeated policy violations by employees.
• Use of unauthorized devices or applications: Incidents involving unauthorized technology.

Employee Perception and Culture:

• Employee feedback and surveys: Qualitative insights from employees about the cyber security policies, culture, and training effectiveness.

These are quite a few information security metrics. It’s important to realize that humans are not perfect, and you will likely see subpar results on one or more of these cyber security KPIs, especially if security hasn’t been a top priority for a long time. As a security leader, you must set realistic goals about tracking and improving on KPIs, especially when presenting to upper management or stakeholders.

Communicate the journey towards enhanced cyber security as a progressive, ongoing process rather than expecting immediate perfection. This approach sets a more achievable standard and fosters a culture of continuous improvement and resilience within the organization.

Some Obstacles You May Encounter When Measuring Cyber Security Culture and Behavior

People are generally resistant to change, and that’s one obstacle you may encounter. Employees may feel uneasy about the fact that their behaviors are being tracked. The best way to address this is to be transparent and explain the security benefits of measuring behavior while also ensuring employees understand that the goal is to improve, not punish, individuals for bad habits.

With several metrics to track, you may also experience data overload. To minimize its effects, it’s best to prioritize cyber security KPIs and focus on the most impactful data.

Last but not least, budget constraints can be difficult to maneuver against when trying to implement KPIs tracking. This specific aspect of cyber security often competes with more direct security measures for funding. To address this, it’s important to highlight the long-term value and efficiency gains that effective KPI tracking can bring to an organization’s cyber security efforts.

Harnessing the Power of KPIs for Better Cyber Resilience

In cyber security, Key Metrics and Performance Indicators (KPIs) are not just beneficial but essential. These metrics serve as a compass, guiding organizations towards a stronger cyber security posture by spotlighting areas needing enhancement and celebrating progress.

By embracing KPIs, leaders can transform abstract concepts of security awareness into tangible, actionable insights. This approach elevates security practices and fosters a culture where every member becomes a contributor to keeping the organization safe.