Today's business leaders have many competing concerns to address, and cybersecurity has become one that permeates every aspect of a business. With the growing sophistication of cyber threats, ensuring the security of digital assets, intellectual property, and personal data is paramount.
This concern is not only the responsibility of IT professionals, but needs to be understood by key leadership roles within any organisation. In this article, we'll explore how cybersecurity impacts the Workplace Experience Leader, Learning & Development Leader, and Digital Experience Leader.
Here, we will look at these three leadership roles to identify cybersecurity risks which might impact their areas. This exploration should allow for more productive and collaborative discussions to improve data security for everyone.
1. Workplace Experience Leader
First, let’s look at the Workplace Experience Leader, responsible for creating a positive environment within the workplace - one where employees feel valued, motivated, and productive. This includes the physical environment, organisational culture, and the digital tools that employees use daily.
Digital Tools & Platforms: Within any organisation, employees will often use a number of digital tools and platforms to facilitate their work. It's crucial that all of these platforms are secure without any vulnerability to compromise sensitive data and disrupt the workflow. The Workplace Experience Leader will need to collaborate with IT and cybersecurity, ensuring digital tools and platforms are established correctly providing a seamless and secure digital experience.
Remote Work Challenges: We’ve talked before about the rise of remote working - particularly in our post Improving Employee Experience - How to Embrace Hybrid Working and Energise Your People. Hybrid working provides benefits to your teams and also your organisation, however they do require your teams to have a secure connection and access to company resources. While enabling these flexible opportunities, the Workplace Experience Leader must manage the risks associated with remote access and help champion the right tools and training to mitigate these risks - working with other leadership teams to do so.
Physical Security & Cybersecurity: While traditionally focused on the physical space, the Workplace Experience Leader now also needs to be concerned about the digital realm. This means that integrating cybersecurity awareness into the broader workplace experience is essential. Communicating these risks to all staff and ensuring smooth processes to manage them will enable the Workplace Experience Leader to keep risks at bay.
2. Learning & Development Leader
This leader focuses on the continuous learning and development of an organisation's workforce. Managing or developing the platforms and materials essential for individual and organisational growth, the Learning and Development Leader will have employee development as their focus but will also need to ensure an understanding of how their facilities and environments impact the organisation.
Secure Training Platforms: As more training occurs online, the platforms used need to be robust against cyber threats. Whether these are hosting webinars, providing instruction, or storing training material, ensuring data security is paramount. Liaison with IT and data security teams will be necessary for this.
Cybersecurity Training: One of the best defences against cyber threats is a well-informed workforce. The Learning & Development Leader should prioritise and regularly update cybersecurity training, ensuring that all employees are aware of their responsibilities, can identify potential threats, and know the best practices.
Tracking & Data: To understand the efficacy of training programs, leaders often rely on data and analytics. This sensitive data, which might include employee progress and personal information, must be kept secure to protect both the company and its employees. A strong relationship with IT and data security teams will ensure learning development teams communicate effectively and establish solutions with security in mind.
3. Digital Experience Leader
The Digital Experience Leader is concerned with the digital touchpoints between the company and its stakeholders - employees, customers, and partners. This position alongside an organisations IT infrastructure creates a clear relationship, however this needs to be supported and developed to ensure best practice is maintained.
Digital Platforms & Cybersecurity: Every digital platform, whether it's a company website, mobile app, or customer portal, is a potential entry point for cyber threats. The Digital Experience Leader must work closely with partners to ensure these platforms are not only user-friendly but also secure.
User Data Protection: With the rise of data-driven decisions, companies collect vast amounts of user data. Ensuring the privacy and security of this data is not only a legal requirement (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) but also crucial for maintaining trust.
Innovation vs. Security: While introducing innovative digital solutions, the Digital Experience Leader must balance between offering cutting-edge features and ensuring these innovations do not introduce vulnerabilities.
Stay One Step Ahead - Communication and Collaboration are Key
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the importance of cybersecurity grows concurrently. For leaders in the workplace, understanding and integrating cybersecurity measures is no longer a choice, but a necessity. Whether enhancing the employee experience, facilitating continuous learning, or ensuring superior digital interactions, cybersecurity stands at the forefront of these endeavours.
Do you know how to ensure your organisation stays secure? Do you have the right structure and processes to enable communication and collaboration between those who will develop these strategies?
While IT departments and data security consultants have clear responsibilities, there is no one in your organisation who can step back from the demands raised by current cybersecurity risks.
About the Author
I'm Terry Chana. I am an innovation strategist that connects customer, employee and brand experiences. My passion lies in building ecosystems to solve business problems by combining creativity and technology.