Why good cyber security starts in the boardroom

Mo Ahddoud, CEO, Chameleon Cyber Consultants

Good cyber security is a fundamental part of business, but how do you know what good cyber security is? Well, the answer to that depends on your business and what it wants to achieve, and those decisions start in the boardroom.

Once business goals are decided, a strategy on how to achieve those goals is then crafted. It’s this business strategy that generally requires people, process and technology, all of which bring a level of risk. Unfortunately, many business leaders don’t have visibility and aren’t informed of these risks, as cyber security, although important, is not seen as a key asset for business success.

By including cyber security in strategic planning, business leaders gain knowledge of these risks, enabling them to make informed decisions on how to manage them. This approach enables budgets and staffing to be aligned to the right areas, ensuring businesses remain compliant and protected, which in turn supports the business to achieve its goals.

So, what does strategic planning look like for cyber security?

We recommend your cyber security team or provider not only understands the goals of the business but also how the business wants to achieve them. This enables them to identify stakeholders, dependencies on technology systems and areas that may involve data privacy.

Next, they need to work with stakeholders and business units to understand the current state of cyber security across the business. This enables them to identify any gaps that might impact the overall business objectives.

Using this information, they can provide visibility to the leadership team on the risks to the business. This allows the leadership team to make informed decisions on the desired target state, so the business is compliant but also supporting its goals.

Once these decisions have been made, a prioritised roadmap of how to achieve the desired target state can be crafted. This should include owners, costs, headcount, external resources and technology. Without this, implementing the plan will be difficult.

But that’s not the end of the story. Business leaders need to be continually informed and assured that the current operational state of cyber security across their business is compliant, protecting the business and supporting its goals. So, strategy reviews, compliance assessments and ongoing reporting are critical.

In summary, a cyber security strategy should not be made in isolation – it should be a key part of business success and constantly evolve as the business does. Business leaders who take responsibility for ensuring the cyber security strategy is appropriate and aligned to business objectives will not only be assured that the business is compliant and protected but also set up for success.

At Chameleon Cyber Consultants, our mission is to use the very latest security thinking, practices and technology tailored to your specific business needs and objectives. If you need help facilitating business success through a secure environment, we’d love to chat.

To find out more, visit chameleoncyberconsultants.com