Only seven per cent of security leaders report directly to the CEO, according to the Ponemon Institute. But it’s not all doom and gloom for security leaders. Looking to increase the awareness of security issues throughout the organization? Here’s how you can still make ROI-focused investments in operational security management to garner C-suite buy-in.
The ROI of operational security management technology
The name of the game, here, is getting the right operational security tools to help achieve company goals. Those tools, including operational security management software platforms, need to perform two key functions:
- Improve the organization’s security posture
- Enable you to measure and communicate relevant metrics to senior stakeholders
The two functions go hand in hand.
Why’s that? Well, you’re likely to get more program funding (to improve security) once you can demonstrate that the investments you’ve already made align with company goals.
How to go about it?
ROI-enhancing security management technology that quantifies the impact of incidents
Well, organizations, particularly those in higher-density facilities, are likely to see larger number of incidents as the security threat grows. Responding to these threats effectively is likely to involve third parties, as well.
Increased security caseloads will, then, likely entail triaging incidents that come in via centralized reporting. That way teams can track and manage action items that emerge from analysis.
Chain of custody might also need to be secured to show proper collection and handling.
That’s where effective digital case management comes in. Integrated digital case management capabilities in operational security management platforms enable data users to interact more efficiently with the wider environment of information, resources, and services. Which helps when it comes to making quicker, data-driven decisions throughout the life cycle of an investigation.
The result: more detailed investigations, which better track losses and recoveries as well as provide more information to law enforcement agencies, mitigating the severity of future incidents.
How to get there? Well, for investigative work, access to digital technologies with configurable workflows is key.
The workflows automate key facets of unpredictable work to increase visibility into complex operations, improve collaboration, and facilitate better stakeholder engagement.
Intuitive user interface and experience (UI and UX) also cater to the varying demographics and technology skill levels of investigators and their supervisors. Access to these other digital case management platform capabilities is also important:
- Business process management via key business workflows, to help automate and optimize business processes, making them easier to track and measure.
- Data capture via digitized forms, to eliminate human error associated with manual data entry, while also lowering cost and time outlays.
- Information management, to provide real-time situational awareness of an ongoing case, with security controls limiting visibility of sensitive information.
- Compliance management, to ensure an auditable trail of evidence and communications, in compliance with regulatory requirements.
- In-system communication (e.g., chat, e-mail, case notes, etc.), to facilitate collaboration, while the communications themselves remain centralized and accessible.
Finally, the security threat has never been higher – across multiple vectors. Nevertheless, security leaders haven’t secured the necessary seat at the table.
Doing so won’t be easy. Security officials, for their part, will have to couch investment priorities in the language of larger business objectives.
For more pointers on how to do so, download our Guide to Proving the ROI of Operational Security.
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