Every October, you’ll see the same headlines: “It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Don’t forget your passwords!”
But the truth nobody says out loud is that cybercriminals love this month. Why? Because most companies write an article, send a memo, and move on. Meanwhile, hackers are betting your employees will go back to business-as-usual by November 1st.
At ACT, we’ve seen it firsthand: one bad habit, one “innocent” click, and suddenly an entire organization is locked out. But we’ve also seen the flipside: teams that built tiny, daily habits that stopped an attack cold.
This isn’t about “awareness.” It’s about action. Here are four workplace habits hackers hope you’ll never adopt:
- Make It Normal to Talk About Threats
Hackers thrive in silence. If no one shares the latest scam, employees don’t know what to watch for.
- Start meetings with a 60-second “phish story.”
- Celebrate the person who spotted a sketchy link instead of shaming them.
- Encourage questions like “Is this safe to click?” No judgment attached.
Why it matters: When security is part of everyday conversation, attackers lose their element of surprise.
- Turn Compliance Into a Trust Signal
For regulated industries like healthcare, finance, or education, compliance is your credibility.
- Keep HIPAA/PCI rules simple and visual for staff, not hidden in a dusty binder.
- Track training and updates so you can prove your diligence.
- Show clients how seriously you guard their data; it’s a competitive advantage.
Why it matters: Following the rules doesn’t just keep auditors happy, it reassures customers that they’re safe with you.
- Practice Chaos Before Chaos Hits
Imagine your systems go dark tomorrow. Do you know your first three steps?
- Test restoring a random file from backup this week.
- Run a “ransomware fire drill” where you role-play the first hour of response.
- Decide who calls the shots when time is short.
Why it matters: Businesses that rehearse recover faster, protect more, and panic less.
- Make Security a Reflex, Not a Reminder
Your software can only do so much. People are the true firewall.
- Replace sticky notes with password managers.
- Require MFA, it’s the cheapest insurance policy you’ll ever buy.
- Hand out “caught a phish” kudos to reward vigilance.
Why it matters: A strong culture turns security from an afterthought into muscle memory.
The Bottom Line
Cybersecurity Awareness Month isn’t about posters on the wall or email blasts that employees ignore. It’s about building habits that stick because when October ends, the threats don’t.
Ready to test your cybersecurity habits?
Let ACT help you assess your team’s readiness and strengthen your defenses before hackers get the chance. Schedule a free discovery call.