Security program management

It is important for your cybersecurity program to align with the business so that the organization can achieve its objectives. Without this alignment, it becomes tough to gain buy-in from executive leadership across departments, which results in a lack of adoption of security services and solutions across the organization. This leaves the organization vulnerable to risks arising from shadow IT systems.

We can help you earn security program buy-in and drive adoption by developing an internal outreach plan. Our team will work with you on:

• Developing and socializing your cybersecurity plan from rollout to adoption
• Upfront planning with executives and board members, such as establishing steering committees and designating cyber leaders across your organization
• Creating a forum for constant engagement with the various business units outside of cyber to communicate upcoming security needs based on business initiatives.

Ensuring your cybersecurity strategy aligns with your current and future business objectives is critical. A successful cyber strategy and strong governance must be supported by a solid cybersecurity framework. A Common Controls Framework (CCF) can map your organization’s tactical objectives to your overall business strategy while considering the three lines of defense.

Our specialists will help you implement a cybersecurity framework that aligns to your organization’s technology and business objectives—such as your cloud vs. on-prem technology strategy—and ensures strong, tone-at-the-top direction on cybersecurity. We’ll also ensure your strategy includes key business stakeholders where necessary and a defined, operational execution plan. All of this can be managed using modern eGRC tools, which RSM can consult on, deploy and manage for your team.  

The execution of a successful security program relies on a blend of internal resources and external partners. When it comes to managing external resources, CISOs and cybersecurity leaders face challenges such as choosing the right security partners, operating onshore vs. offshore, and ensuring partnerships are strategic and show a return on investment.

Our specialists will evaluate your organization’s strategic use of third parties and their ability to support your cybersecurity program. We’ll help with:

• Providing guidance on the evaluation and management of third-party risks
• Reviewing considerations for insourcing versus outsourcing certain cybersecurity functions
• Evaluating vendor risk and concentration exposure
• Identifying strategic vendors and strategic sourcing options
• Assessing inventory of approved security tools and technologies as well as identifying deviation
• Defining security and privacy contractual language and the exception process

Executive oversight of the cybersecurity program is a constant challenge for CISOs and cybersecurity leaders. CISOs need to develop strong metrics and reporting both to understand how their program is impacting the organization’s risk posture and to effectively communicate the program performance to executive stakeholders.

Our advisors will support your organization’s efforts to evaluate, define and roll out an enterprise cybersecurity program aligned with leading industry standards. We’ll help you with:

• Providing actionable, operational reporting through business-aligned security metrics and executive-level dashboards
• Aligning an operational execution plan for your cybersecurity strategy
• Developing a security program that operates as a business with recurring processes across people, operations and technology
• Ensuring accountable security spend is aligned to business initiatives
• Measuring return on your security investment through KPIs and reporting
• Articulating metrics and reports in a way your stakeholders and audiences understand

The typical cybersecurity program consists of numerous concurrent projects that span across all capabilities of the program. CISOs and cybersecurity leadership need to prioritize these projects and manage them as a portfolio to avoid disparate projects running on their own.

Our advisors will assist your organization in the development and/or operation of program/project management for your transformational cybersecurity efforts. We’ll help implement your internal program management office to ensure effective program management that crosses organizational, process and technology boundaries. Our services include:

• Managing a project portfolio aligned with your key security risk mitigation themes
• Delivering a consistent and formalized project management methodology to drive down project implementation risks
• Providing tools and accelerators to jump-start your project management activities
• Supporting transparent, ongoing communications with project stakeholders regarding status and risks

In addition to security awareness initiatives, organizations should implement role-based training programs and curriculum so team members outside of cybersecurity can recognize security issues in the areas of the business in which they specialize.

We’ll help your organization with security training that is aligned to specific job functions outside of the cybersecurity team. For instance, a database administrator needs to know the sensitivity of the information they handle. We’ll also provide guidance to help you track with your responsibilities for protecting access to the systems and data utilized by individuals in your company.

Job rotation and succession planning are key for a successful, long-term security program. Team members need to develop a diverse cyber skillset that supports the entire business, which may also aid your organization’s retention efforts.

RSM will help deliver and support your organization’s internal and external talent identification, onboarding, development, outsourcing requirements, performance management and transition activities for cybersecurity leaders and staff. We’ll help by:

• Identifying cybersecurity leaders internally and externally
• Developing and facilitating an onboarding series to identify organizational gaps, key relationships and a roadmap of activities
• Supporting the balance of insourcing and outsourcing
• Developing processes and tools for exposing cybersecurity managers and above to the business strategy
• Developing formalized training and succession plans