Business Problems We Solve: Align Your Business Priorities With Your Cybersecurity Spending

The other day we had a team meeting with an external partner of ours about CEO priorities and cybersecurity. Most CEOs do not have expertise in cybersecurity and defer to their IT department. The question we discussed was: does IT set up the cybersecurity program based on organizational priorities or based on IT's priorities?

Whose 'values proposition' is it?

The answer in nearly any case is that IT will set up a program based on its priorities, and those may not fully reflect the CEO's or Board's priorities.

As an executive or Board member, you know that you need to align the organization's priorities and resources with the goals you have set. Have you had that discussion with your IT department?

As the CIO or CTO, you know that you need to create the organization's cybersecurity risk management priorities with the resources and organizational goals that have been set by the Board and CEO.  Have you had that discussion with your IT department, or with other executives?

The most fundamental part of risk management is relationship management. As someone who allocates resources or sets cybersecurity policy, there needs to be alignment between organizational priorities and cybersecurity risk management so that the right level of resources are spent on the right issues.

It's very easy to buy a cybersecurity platform because it's something your friends use, or it has a cool website, or your peers use it. Are their priorities also your priorities? Did they, too, also not create a cybersecurity risk management agenda? If so, maybe you are over-spending, or maybe you are not creating cybersecurity for what your priorities are.

As an investor or someone looking to acquire a company, you should consider whether your prospect's leadership team has managed its spending well or whether they are mis-spending because of mis-alignment. Don't let your prospect tell you it's someone else's problem.

Ask us how we can help you align your spending priorities with your cybersecurity priorities.