With cyber-attacks expected to only surge and become more sophisticated in the coming months, it is critical that CISOs have an effective compliance program and security program in place to deal with such issues.
Cyber-attacks are growing and becoming more sophisticated with each passing day. A 2021 report from Check Point Research, cyber-attacks have surged by 50% year-over-year, with nearly every firm facing 925 cyber-attacks per week globally. This has left no choice for security leaders but to invest heavily in strengthening the cybersecurity of the organization. But, just investing heavily in maintaining the security is not enough.
Security leaders should also build adequate security, risk management, or compliance programs by advocating for the team’s needs and securing resources. Doing so will enable them to improve cyber defense posture and mitigate risks while ensuring compliance with industry standards.
Here are a few steps that security leaders should take to build an effective compliance and security program:
Know the procurement process inside out
Building an effective compliance and security program begins with security leaders gaining an understanding of the procurement process of the organization before reaching out to vendors. This way, when choosing a vendor, they will be better positioned to train the sales representatives to effectively navigate the process.
Organizations often build their tools budget depending on the needs of the department. However, since managing risks and meeting the compliance requirements is a cross-functional responsibility, most organizations do not keep this budget in factor to purchase new tools specifically for risk and compliance management.
Also Read: Four Crucial Steps CISOs Should Consider During Uncertain Times
To acquire the budget for the needed toolset, security leaders should abandon their traditional documented process and move up to upper management, which can help them to approve new purchases outside of the normal budgeting cycle.
Determine and prioritize assets and risks
Without having a clear understanding of the threats, it is difficult to put the necessary mitigation techniques in place as well as assets to whom those risks are tied.
Security leaders should first identify the critical assets and then associate those assets with appropriate risks. They should translate the risks into a business language so that executives can make informed decisions.
Determine the best fit for building alliances
Getting approval on expensive software is not always an easy task since many in the management team will always look for excuses to not approve it. Therefore, it is crucial to have people supporting the idea. Additionally, having allies also strengthens the confidence of other counterparts in the team since they understand it will enable them to resolve an enterprise-wide concern.
Have a thorough understanding of the implementation plan and timeline
To successfully get the point across to the decision-makers, security leaders should talk about the impact of the proposed solution in terms of time to value. They should explain the timeline to see the benefits of incorporating new security solutions from the vendor. By providing the confirmation required to achieve the key milestones early in the sales process, security leaders will be in a better position to present an accurate forecast of time-to-value for the software.
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