Security Champions: How to Build a Cyber Ambassador Network with Internal Tournaments

Serving as a CISO often feels like an asymmetric battle. On one side stands a lean security team responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of employees. On the other side, adversaries require just one misjudged click to breach the perimeter. Attempting to enforce strict compliance policies from an isolated technical tower breeds indifference at best, and operational workarounds at worst. To foster an authentic security culture, CISOs must establish trusted conduits directly within operational teams.

This is the core objective of a Security Champions programme. However, arbitrarily assigning representatives or relying on formal calls for volunteers rarely delivers tangible results. Mandated candidates tend to drag their feet, whilst genuinely passionate advocates remain undetected. Sustainable success relies on organic identification: converting engaging internal competitions into a talent pipeline to detect your future security champions and cyber ambassadors.

How to Identify and Engage Security Champions Across Business Departments#

In summary: To identify reliable security champions, run engaging internal tournaments that track performance and spontaneous participation. Evaluate department leaderboards to pinpoint natural drivers, then formalise their ambassador roles by celebrating their expertise amongst peers without overburdening their day-to-day schedules.

Traditional ambassador recruitment carries a fundamental flaw: it typically attracts compliant individuals rather than genuinely enthusiastic advocates. Conversely, behavioural data gathered during a gamified security tournament highlights unsuspected, grassroots leaders.

Harnessing the Dynamic of Internal Tournaments

When launching a Cyber Cup (our arcade-style team cybersecurity quiz competition, featuring fast-paced 3-minute rounds and real-time leaderboards), engagement becomes immediately quantifiable. You quickly observe who takes the initiative to rally colleagues, who drives enthusiasm during coffee breaks, and who plays repeatedly to lift the ranking of the finance, HR, or logistics team.

Similarly, formats such as the Super Challenge, which features rounds of cyber and AI quizzes arranged by thematic worlds, allow you to identify curious employees who take an active interest in emerging technology. This format is accessible in self-service mode with 5 free accesses without requiring payment card details, making it easy to test the mechanics without friction. The top performers on your leaderboard are rarely traditional IT engineers; they are frequently pragmatic, curious, and influential figures embedded in core business units.

What Criteria Should You Use to Select Your Security Champions?#

In summary: An effective security champion should not be chosen solely for raw technical skill, but rather for curiosity, social influence, and consistency during internal challenges. Prioritise infectious enthusiasm and an ability to translate security concepts into sensible operational practices.

Whilst a top score provides a strong indicator, an ambassador role demands distinct interpersonal attributes. To build a robust network, cross-reference leaderboard positions with three essential criteria:

• Informal influence: An ideal champion is not necessarily a line manager. They are the person colleagues naturally consult for practical advice or assistance when navigating software.
• Engaged perseverance: Assess repetition across tournament rounds. An individual who replays to review mistakes demonstrates true intellectual resilience against social engineering tactics.
• Operational empathy: Your representative must understand the working realities of their department. If they regard security as an enabler rather than bureaucratic red tape, their guidance will be welcomed by peers.

Once these employees emerge from the rankings, arrange an informal introductory discussion. Position the initiative not as an administrative burden, but as a prestigious, pioneering role within the wider organisation.

How to Structure and Maintain the Network Without Causing Burnout#

The primary reason cyber champion networks fail is operational overload. Departmental contacts already juggle core responsibilities, whether meeting sales targets, running recruitment, or managing ledger accounts. If their champion role transforms into tedious reporting duties, participation drops sharply within weeks.

To sustain momentum, maintain a light and consistent engagement rhythm:

• A dedicated briefing channel: Establish a private channel to share early briefings on emerging threats, high-profile vulnerabilities, and sector-relevant incidents. Champions appreciate staying one step ahead of the news.
• Exclusive immersion opportunities: Grant them early access to distinctive training tools. For instance, invite them to test Deepfake Studio to explore synthetic voice and video fraud first-hand, or let them play Super CISO Destroyer online to experience incident response pressure in an interactive 3D simulation.
• Frontline feedback loops: Rely on champions to review internal security measures. Consult them on how staff perceive updated password policies or generative AI guidelines in their respective teams. They serve as your most reliable operational sounding board.
• Public recognition: Celebrate their contributions during tournament awards and company updates. Direct access to the CISO and peer recognition provide far stronger motivation than conventional material rewards.

By pairing interactive tournaments with structured network engagement, cybersecurity moves beyond a rigid top-down mandate: it transforms into a shared culture, championed daily by professionals proud of their contribution.

Looking to identify your future security champions and launch engaging internal tournaments across your organisation? Discuss your requirements with our team to design an effective, human-led security awareness strategy.

BRAIN SECURITY PRODUCT IN ACTION · Super Challenge

Further reading: related articles and Brain Security solutions#

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Explore Brain Security solutions on our website

• Featured solution : Super Challenge : The fully configurable reflex competition: timed mini-games, cyber, AI or mixed universes, arcade mode.
• Plan your Cybersecurity Awareness Month programme
• Compare our cybersecurity and AI awareness formats
• Explore the full interactive Brain Security catalogue
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