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What does a good cyber strategy look like? A good cyber security strategy not only sets out an organisation’s commitment to delivering effective cyber security, but how it is going to deliver it. However, whilst a security programme plan forms part of the strategy, it is not the only component: having a plan is not the same as having a strategy. If the programme plan is your railway timetable, your strategy tells where you’re trying to get to, and the direction of travel you’ll take to get there. Most importantly, it tells you “why”. A good cyber strategy makes a clear link from business objectives through to a cyberplan, via a series of logical, interconnected steps. Defining any kind of strategy can be challenging for an organisation, and cyber security is no different. It can be particularly challenging for cyber security subject matter experts to step away from the comforting detail of their day job sufficiently to take the “big-enough-picture” view required to form a strategy. A strategy can take many different forms, however the most successful strategies will often consist of some key components. Firstly, it should set out its cyber security vision. This should articulate the “end state” for cyber security within the organisation, and flow naturally into a series of strategic objectives which break the end vision into more digestible milestones. Security is often seen as a blocker in organisations, and so the vision and objectives should focus as much on communicating how security can be an enabler as on how it enables better risk management. With all of these potential sources of influence, how many objectives should you have? There’s no “right” answer, but we would probe into any strategy with more than five or six. Are they high-level enough? Do they really prioritise the things which are most important to your business? A good objective might say “Cyber security risk will be a business accountability, and we will engage with business stakeholders to enable them to manage their risk…”. This isn’t the place to define which standard you’ll use to build your risk framework, or which person will help them to use it! Many organisations also struggle to make the bridge from strategy to execution, so if you are struggling to distil down to that number of strategic objectives, consider adding a subordinate layer of enabling objectives which can be more targeted and can help you make the leap from objectives to a plan of action to deliver them. In order to deliver your strategy effectively, whomever is responsible for it needs to be appropriately empowered. In our Global State of Information Security Survey 2016 we found that 54% of respondents had a CISO in charge of their security programme. One way to ensure that the CISO is able to effectively discharge their responsibilities is to use a CISO mandate and charter. Defining these often means The CISO mandate sets out the authority of the CISO with respect taking to cyber inputs security and from delivering four the key strategy. The Charter itself will ensure the accountability of the CISO, and sources of influence: give the board and other leaders the ability to hold the CISO to account for delivering the strategy. Many organisations also Business tackle this strategy: by setting analyse themselves the business’ objectives strategic around how objectives the security and function understand will integrate how cyber with security its business can stakeholders enable them, (which and naturally what support leads on business to the question leaders of target will operating need to deliver. model, which will be the focus of a future article in this blog). Business risk: look both at the current risk appetite, Ultimately, and at a how cyber strategy security is likely strategy to modify needs to the be risk tailored map, to suit the and organisation ask what that in will question mean – for whilst cyber there risk. is no “one size fits all” or silver bullet approach, there are certainly some External key steps forces: that all what organisations are the disruptive can take forces to ensure that acting their strategy on the business is as effective from as outside, possible. what does that mean for cyber security, and more importantly Formulate how can your cyber cyber security security enable vision the and business objectives to based on your react overarching to those forces. information risk appetite and business goals. This way not only will your information risks be addressed Regulation: in a coordinated what are the manner, “must do’s” it will in be your done in a way which business, engages and the how rest is of that the business likely to evolve? and helps achieve the wider business strategy. 34 34
Consider all of our four sources of influence as you draft your strategic objectives, and pay close attention to how you will ensure that they speak directly to what your business leaders care about. The delivery of the message is often as important as the message itself! Ensure that the senior leader with responsibility for delivering the strategy is empowered with the authority to drive the cyber security agenda within the organisation through a clear CISO mandate. “In order to deliver your strategy effectively, whomever is responsible for it needs to be appropriately empowered.” By Simon Borwick, Director, PwC 35
Page 1 and 2: inside CYBER Bringing you the insid
Page 3 and 4: inside CYBER Contents 04 ..........
Page 5 and 6: them. Despite this, the government
Page 7 and 8: Northrop Grumman is a leading provi
Page 9 and 10: top Universities even offer an unde
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Page 15 and 16: Too many unreported cases The priva
Page 17 and 18: faced a competency-based interview.
Page 19 and 20: My Experience with the Cyber Securi
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Page 23 and 24: SUCCESS STORIES UNIVERSITY CAMPS As
Page 25 and 26: MAKE EVERY EMPLOYEE A BARRIER TO BR
Page 27 and 28: The dark web: What it is and what
Page 29 and 30: Towards a secure solution Unfortuna
Page 31 and 32: CYBERUK 2017: Bringing together The
Page 33: 1. Shred, Shred, Shred… In my TV
Page 37 and 38: Cyber Security Extended Project Qua
Page 39 and 40: Word from the Chair Dr Robert L Now
Page 42: Opposite is a selection of cards to

CYBER

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