The best workplaces are built on trust. Trust in leadership, trust that people can contribute without fear, connect without barriers, try new things, and bring their full selves to work. With this in mind, we recently sat down with the team at Brightly to talk about the importance of cyber security in building trust. Because in today’s digital world, that sense of trust doesn’t just depend on wellbeing or leadership, it depends on cyber resilience too. 

Cyber security is a cultural issue, not just a technical one‍

Too often, cyber security is framed as an IT checklist: install the patch, update the system, remind people to change their passwords. But the best workplaces recognise that resilience is also cultural.

It’s about making sure people feel supported and safe to innovate, collaborate, and thrive without fear that one wrong click could compromise everything. Just as organisations invest in psychological safety and wellbeing, cyber safety must sit alongside them as part of the culture. When it’s woven into everyday behaviours, security becomes a natural part of how people operate.

The real cost of complacency

Cyber incidents are rising in both frequency and sophistication, from phishing to ransomware to social engineering. And the consequences extend far beyond financial loss.

A breach can undermine trust inside and outside the organisation. Employees may feel let down, customers may lose confidence in your ability to protect them, and reputational damage can linger long after systems are restored. For workplaces that pride themselves on culture, that loss of trust can be more costly than the incident itself.

That’s why forward-thinking employers see cyber resilience not as a burden, but as an investment in continuity, wellbeing, and trust. By reducing fear and uncertainty, they free their people to focus on what matters most: doing their best work.

How the best workplaces build cyber resilience

Across Aotearoa New Zealand, we’re seeing leading organisations treat cyber resilience as a core pillar of workplace excellence. Here’s some of the practices that Brightly recommends to make a difference:

• Make it relatable. Use plain language, real scenarios, and interactive training so security habits feel meaningful in day-to-day work. 
• Lead the conversation. When leaders champion cyber security as a shared responsibility, it sets the tone across the organisation.
• Empower reporting. Build a culture where mistakes can be admitted quickly and without blame, because fast reporting often prevents bigger issues.
• Keep it alive. Cyber awareness isn’t a once-a-year training; it’s kept alive through rhythms, reminders, and ongoing dialogue.
• Enable secure flexibility. Hybrid and remote work are now central to employee experience. Protecting devices, networks, and data ensures people can choose how and where they work with confidence.‍
• Tie it to purpose. At Brightly, for example, cyber security is about protecting people as much as technology. It enables their team to work flexibly, innovate confidently, and support customers without compromise.

Safe places to belong‍

The best workplaces aren’t only about growth, flexibility, or connection. They are places where people feel safe to belong, even in an unpredictable digital world. Cyber resilience makes that possible. It underpins flexibility, strengthens culture, and ensures trust holds firm no matter where or how work happens.

Exceptional organisations don’t just nurture talent, enable connection, and build resilient cultures, they also defend them. By prioritising cyber security alongside wellbeing, leaders send a clear message: your contributions matter, your safety matters, and we’re in this together.

That’s what makes workplaces resilient. And that’s what makes them the Best Places to Work™.

Brightly helps purpose-driven businesses make a positive impact with IT strategies that consider the whole picture: innovation, efficiency, security and sustainable growth.

And if you’re wanting to consider the whole picture of your workplace culture, perhaps start off with a Best Places to Work™ Annual Survey.