Information Security Forum: Businesses Must Transition from Alignment to Integration in Coming Years

NEW YORK - June 3, 2014 - PRLog -- The Information Security Forum (http://www.securityforum.org) (ISF), a global, independent information security body considered the world's leading authority on cyber security and information risk management, today announced the availability of its latest research Information Security Strategy: Transitioning from Alignment to Integration. The report takes key lessons learned from leading organizations and describes how the transition from security alignment to integration may look over the next two to three years.

According to the ISF, the digital landscape offers unparalleled opportunities for organizations to build a business strategy around innovative services and products. As information is fundamental to seizing these opportunities, the door is wide open for the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to play a key role in the definition and execution of the organization’s strategy. Information Security Strategy: Transitioning from Alignment to Integration proposes that CISO’s need to understand the information security context: where the function is currently in terms of skills, capabilities and capacity, and how it is perceived within the organization. This step is necessary as organizations must perceive the information security function to be a center of excellence if it is to integrate into the business’s decision-making processes.

“In recent years, the CISO in many organizations has focused on aligning the information security function’s strategy to that of the business,” said Steve Durbin, Managing Director, ISF.  “However, that is no longer enough as the growing reliance on cyberspace has placed a demand on CISO’s to define and execute an information security strategy that goes even further. A transition to integration is vital for the information security function to deliver what the business needs.”

Information Security Strategy: Transitioning from Alignment to Integration describes the likely key components of an integrated strategy and how the evolution from aligned might materialize. It does this by examining three concepts that form a ‘virtuous circle’, feeding off each other to help drive home an integrated information security strategy:

·         Engagement: Where the information security function is close to the core business and adequately represented at key decision-making forums, including the strategy development table

·         Anticipation: Able to identify changes to the business and threat landscape that could jeopardize or enhance the chance of business success

·         Resilience: To recognize that it is impossible to defend against every attack, but that planning and preparation can reduce the potential impact.

“Engagingacross the organization helps secure representation at the strategy development table and facilitates anticipation, because the CISO is kept up-to-date with changing business needs and potential information security threats to, or opportunities for, achieving business objectives,” continued Durbin. “By engaging and anticipating business needs and threats to objectives, the CISO can then build and maintain the requisite organizational resilience. Building this resilience, and demonstrating strong expertise for anticipation, reinforces the necessary credibility for engagement, and makes a solid case for representation at strategy formulation.”

Information Security Strategy: Transitioning from Alignment to Integrationis available now for purchase from the ISF Store on the ISF’s website www.securityforum.org.  For more information, please contact Steve Durbin at steve.durbin@securityforum.org.

About the Information Security Forum

Founded in 1989, the Information Security Forum (ISF) is an independent, not-for-profit association of leading organizations from around the world. It is dedicated to investigating, clarifying and resolving key issues in cyber, information security and risk management and developing best practice methodologies, processes and solutions that meet the business needs of its Members.

ISF Members benefit from harnessing and sharing in-depth knowledge and practical experience drawn from within their organizations and developed through an extensive research and work program. The ISF provides a confidential forum and framework, which ensures that Members adopt leading-edge information security strategies and solutions. And by working together, Members avoid the major expenditure required to reach the same goals on their own.

Further information about ISF research and membership is available from www.securityforum.org