New employees bring energy, knowledge, and fresh ideas into an organization. At the same time, there is a temporary increase in risk in terms of information security.
Many organizations plan onboarding around practical matters such as a laptop, where to find the coffee machine, meeting structures, and how to request vacation days. And of course, getting to know new colleagues. All important. However what is often underestimated is the awareness of information security.
That awareness plays a critical role in achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 certification.
Why onboarding is a critical moment for information security
When someone joins an organization, there is often a lack of knowledge about:
• which information is confidential
• which systems may or may not be used
• how data should be shared securely
• how phishing or social engineering can be recognized
New employees want to become productive quickly and prove they are the right hire. As a result, they sometimes choose the fastest solution rather than the safest one.
Common real world examples:
- sharing documents via personal cloud storage,
- emailing sensitive information to private accounts,
- storing passwords in notes or spreadsheets,
- opening unknown links in emails,
This behavior is usually not caused by bad intent, but by a lack of context and awareness. That is exactly why onboarding is a key moment and an opportunity to encourage the right behavior.
The relationship with ISO 27001
Within ISO 27001, employee awareness plays an important role. The standard requires that employees:
• are aware of the information security policy,
• understand the risks,
• know their responsibilities,
• know how to report incidents involving company information,
Organizations must therefore be able to demonstrate that employees are sufficiently aware of information security. Audits often reveal that policies exist, but new employees are not structurally exposed to them. A structured onboarding process helps demonstrate that awareness is embedded and secured within processes.
Security officers play an important role in how policies are applied in practice.
The role of security officers
Security officers play an important role in how policies are applied in practice. Security is often seen as an IT or compliance topic, while daily employee behavior sits in operations.
Operational managers can make the difference by:
• embedding security awareness into onboarding,
• actively guiding new employees in secure working practices,
• providing practical, real life examples,
• leading by example within teams,
When secure working becomes part of the culture, information security shifts from an obligation to a natural part of daily work.
Practical steps for secure onboarding
Effective onboarding around information security does not need to be complex. Four practical steps:
- Introduce the information security policy
Ensure new employees know where to find policies and understand key principles. - Explain what information is sensitive
- Provide awareness training For example on phishing, password use, and secure information sharing. Various online providers exist. Protify collaborates with Phised and can support in selecting a suitable provider for your organization.
- Let employees acknowledge policies Having employees confirm that policies have been read and understood supports auditability.
Security awareness starts on day one
‘Many organizations invest in technical measures but underestimate human behavior. Onboarding is one of the most important moments to establish a foundation for secure working. Not only to comply with ISO 27001, but to ensure employees understand from the start how they contribute to protecting information.
The earlier the right behavior is learned, the lower the risk in daily operations.
Interested to learn how Protify can support maintaining ISO 27001 certification? Contact us to schedule a non binding introduction.
