September 29, 2025

Fostering a Data Security Champion in Your Workplace

In today’s business environment, both physical information security and cybersecurity are essential priorities for organizations of all sizes and across every sector. Failing to recognize and address information security risks can lead to data breaches, costly fines, reputational damage, and loss of customers. Moreover, safeguarding confidential information is not only a best practice—it is a legal requirement.

In 2024, nearly 60% of data breaches involved a human element, underscoring the indispensable role employees play in protecting organizational data. One of the most effective ways to continuously monitor and develop an organization's data security practices is to foster a security champion or a team of security champions in the workplace. These are employees who demonstrate a strong commitment to information security and willingly assume leadership roles in promoting a total security culture.

The following checklist outlines five practical strategies to help empower and mobilize your security champion team:

Develop Educational Materials

Prepare comprehensive presentations for staff that detail the security risks relevant to your organization, existing security protocols, and practical guidance for embedding a total security culture into daily activities. Recommended topics include your clean desk policy, shred-it-all policy, and password management protocols. Additionally, provide clear instructions for identifying suspicious emails and mitigating malware and phishing threats.

Provide Physical Reminders

Create and distribute a mini checklist employees can keep at their desks as a quick reference guide to help reinforce daily habits that support a total security culture. To be most effective, limit the list to about five items. For example:

• Did you leave any sensitive information on your desk?
• Have you shredded all paper and documents you no longer need?
• Did you activate your lock screen before leaving the work area?
• When was the last time you changed your password?
• If an email seems suspicious, it probably is. Don’t open it!

Recognize Successful Employees

Send a bi-weekly recognition email to spotlight employees who consistently demonstrate strong information security habits and contribute to a total security culture. Consider offering small incentives to inspire positive action. A little praise can go a long way in reinforcing good practices and boosting engagement.

Conduct Workspace Reviews

Carry out periodic workspace checks and use sticky notes to discreetly remind employees of any lapses in security practices. Friendly reminders like “Don’t forget to keep your desk clean” or “Remember to turn on your screen saver” can serve as helpful prompts to reinforce a total security culture. But be constructive – these reminders should feel supportive, not be punitive, and act as gentle refreshers on proper procedures.

Keep Security Top of Mind

Organize quarterly data security refresher training sessions to ensure data security remains a top priority for your team. It can be helpful in these sessions to explain why security is important to your business and the reasoning behind your security policies as well as offer statistics about data breach risks. When you provide more context, your team will be more likely to comply with requirements. To reinforce the message, include real-world examples and offer hands-on opportunities for practice.

Data Security Support

Some businesses may not have the internal resources to provide comprehensive education and ongoing training for cultivating and maintaining a total security culture. Consider partnering with a professional service, like Shred-it^®, which offers tailored data security support. Shred-it^®’s policy templates and trainings are designed to help organizations of all sizes educate employees with resources and training that are interactive, customizable, accessible, and compatible with existing systems.

Download our checklist for strategies on how to enable and mobilize your data security champion team.