How to raise your organisation’s security maturity level - the need for Security Intelligence and why it should be a board-level concern

Security risks are everywhere in today’s always-on, online world and everyone faces threats, from individuals, through small and medium organisations, to large enterprises. Everyone should consider themselves a target and the consequences of being hit can be dire.

Cyber security has become too important to be left to chance. Security threats are increasing in volume, severity and complexity. Attackers use increasingly advanced methods to try to breach defences – and are successful in so many cases that it is not a case of if you will be breached, but when and how often.

For any organisation, a strategy focused merely on preventing attacks from reaching the network is insufficient. To safeguard sensitive data and perhaps even the business itself, the focus must shift to detection and response.

A new mindset is required for security. Security risks need to be seen in the context of overall risk, including financial and operational. Security needs to be pervasive, throughout all levels of the organisation and across all systems on and connected to the network. Only then can an organisation achieve the level of security that is required.

This paper takes a look at the stages involved in the security maturity journey and defines five stages along that journey. It then sets out to describe how organisations can move from being security blind to reaching a level of true resilience. Whilst not every organisation has the same level of risk tolerance nor unlimited budgets, organisations should consider how they can move up the scale to reach the level of security maturity that is most appropriate for them.

Free Download (subject to terms)