Insight on Demonstrating Value

Insight on Demonstrating Value

A Framework to Build Partnership and Consensus

Nearly every security leader tasked with developing a major cross-disciplinary initiative begins by looking at all the variables and asking this first question, "Where do I even start?"

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Collaboration Is Key to Expanding the Definition of Security

Businesses today operate within a much more complex, sophisticated, and interconnected competitive universe than they did 20 or even 10 years ago. One of the impacts of these transformations on Corporate Security is that cross-functional partnerships, once considered a "nice to have," have become a risk management imperative.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Faculty Advisor: Decision Making Tips for Security Leaders

Decisions that security leaders and their teams make can have lifechanging consequences. All security leaders would do well to consider these suggestions to enable themselves to make the best choices for their organizations and the people they protect.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

How Concept of Operations Can Build Cross-Functional Partnerships

Imagine trying to launch a workplace violence prevention program without talking to Human Resources. Or starting a GSOC without bringing in IT. There are some collaborations that are essential to effective security risk management. A concept of operations is a good vehicle for accomplishing that and more.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Thirteen Fundamentals for a Successful Security Program

Each security program may have its own set of required activities and skillsets. However, we have found there are a handful of fundamentals that apply to the implementation of any type of security program.

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Building Valued, Relevant Metrics Programs

In the SEC's October 2023 Security State of the Industry briefing, Tier 1 Security Leaders heard from two successful security executives discuss their metrics journey.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

The Biggest Gap in Security Success: Not Getting Executive Agreement on "Why?"

Of the five basic problem-solving questions about security, who, what, why, how, and how much, the one that poses the biggest challenge for many security leaders is "Why?" -- yet it’s the most important question to answer.

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Security Universe Assessment Charts Bring Results for Security Leaders

Three Tier 1 security leaders shared their stories and discussed how they are using the results of their Security Success Universe Assessments for positive change in their organizations.

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Universe Assessment Identifies Gaps and Opportunities

At the Security Executive Council's May 2022 State of the Security Industry (SSOI) Briefing, SEC staff and faculty led participating Tier 1 security leaders through the new Security Success Universe Assessment, designed to help them identify gaps, find credible organizational partners, and enhance security offerings to fit the needs of their organizations.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Faculty Advisor: Reporting to a New Boss? Preparation Is Key

You’ve gotten the news that you’ll be reporting to a new boss. Whether it’s due to an internal shift or an outside hire, an M&A or a restructure, such news can bring with it a cascade of unknowns.

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The New Challenges of the CSO

The Chief Security Officer role has adopted new complexities in the face of seismic shifts in risk and business over the last few years.

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How Proactive Investigations Can Boost the Bottom Line

Organizations can incur criminal loss through many avenues – organized crime, theft and diversion, intellectual property loss, myriad types of internal and external fraud involving insurance, employee benefits, misappropriation, kickbacks, and more. Each of these loss avenues may be managed by a different function in the company, which is why...

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Faculty Advisor: Operational Excellence Metrics for Security

I would like to engage my security function in some sort of Operational Excellence framework so I can show my organization, in terms that already resonate with our executives, how we meet and exceed expectations. Do you have any recommendations for measurable targets we can set as we get started?

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Faculty Advisor: Reestablishing Security as a Critical Partner within the Organization

I have been on the job for several years and I sense senior management is not as on board with security as when I started. For example, there was management reorganization and I report to someone who is at a lower level than who I was reporting to before. There have been committees formed that I thought I should sit on and I was not invited. Should I be worried?

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Security Barometer: Is COVID-19 Putting Your Budget or Team at Risk for Reductions?

If Security cannot contribute like they have in the past due to stagnation of certain business activities - will this result in cuts?

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Is Your GSOC Contributing to Operational Excellence?

This brief self-assessment can help prepare you for a conversation about your GSOC's needs and capabilities with executive management

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Faculty Advisor: Concept of Operations and Why It Should Be In Your Toolkit

We have a hard time getting understanding for some of our initiatives. Any thoughts on how to get the attention of senior management?

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Are You Ready to Make Your Business Case?

If you can't justify your proposal to the people who need to fund and support it, why should they say yes?

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Operational Excellence in Contract Security Performance Measurement

The focus in this paper is on measuring the performance of security service providers. The Security Executive Council believes that there needs to be a more in-depth consideration of what constitutes "excellence" in these operations given the consistent growth of outsourcing to guard service companies.

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Security State of the Industry (SSoI): Measuring Security Leader and Program Value Potential and its Relation to Being Valued by the Business

After the Next Crisis Happens, Will You be Ready to Quickly Explain Security’s Value to the Business?

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Benchmarks Aren’t Magic, They’re Tools

Benchmarking can inform corporate goal setting and can play a significant role in strategic planning. Unless security leaders look beyond the numbers to consider all the potential explanations of why their program varies from the average, they’ll still be missing critical insights.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Exploring the Value Story

Our value has to be connected to our success in measurably impacting risk. What are the measures, and how are you communicating the critical messages?.

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Faculty Advisor: Gaining Confidence in Showing Value

I am trying to re-position my organization’s security function to be more aligned with the organization’s mission. What can I do to gain the confidence of my senior management and to show and enhance security’s value to the business?

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Case Study: Risk Management and Security Metrics at Boeing

This case provides background information on Boeing and why its security group undertook an evaluation of the metrics that they use. The results of that evaluation are presented, along with a general discussion of how metrics are used to improve decision making and assessment.

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Driving Excellence in Enterprise Security

If enterprise security is to be effectively aligned with its company’s strategy and processes, it must be driving a focus on operations excellence (OpEx) into every corner of its suite of products and services.

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Finding Value in Security Benchmarking: The Current State of Comparison Research in the Security Industry

Benchmarking compares practices or processes against others to evaluate quality and resource allocations such as personnel or costs. It is also used to ascertain practices or processes that others are doing well and that may fill a known gap in the sponsoring organization.

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How to Influence with Metrics

Let’s say you develop some must-have metrics in your organization. You have the data and the results; now how will you use them to influence your business?

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Is it Time for a Corporate Security Maturity Assessment?

The benefits that can be achieved from Capability Maturity Models are not just for IT security.

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Measuring Alignment Using Key Risk Indicators

I get a lot of questions about how Security can demonstrate with metrics that we have a positive connection to the core business strategy and objectives. Here’s one example.

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Meeting Contract Standards

Is there a visible commitment to operational excellence within your security vendor’s on-site team? Contract guards represent the security organization to the average visitor and employee at U.S. businesses today, and their competence is both critical and evident in their interactions.

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Faculty Advisor: Where is Security’s best Opportunity in Enterprise Risk Management?

Q. Our organization has identified risks using Enterprise Risk Management but as far as execution across the enterprise we are floundering. Also, Security is not as involved as I think we should be. Any thoughts on better managing risks across the company’s businesses? How can we strive for operational excellence in this area?

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Faculty Advisor: Thinking Strategically to Enhance Security-Business Alignment

Q. Business leaders think in terms of growth, reduction of operating costs, margins and competition, for example. Traditionally, security leaders tend to not think in these terms. Is there a way we can present our programs to match what are the driving forces of the business side?

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Is Your Security Program Viewed as Effective? Warning Signs of Security's Decreasing Influence

How can you assess if your corporate security program is effective? To start, you should be able to answer “yes” to these three questions:

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

"Garbage In" Can Cost You Your Job

We recently conducted a poll on our Web site asking visitors the question, "What in your organization is putting your continued employment at greatest risk?"If you don’t start with high-quality ingredients, you’re not going to get high-quality results.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Coping with Changes to Company Leadership

Whether the result of an internal structural shift, an external hiring decision, or a merger/acquisition, a change in leadership and reporting can signal a challenging time for security.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Faculty Advisor: Demonstrating Security’s Contribution to Organizational Goals

How can we identify and highlight the programs, services and positive outcomes that Security brings to help meet the organization’s business goal? In particular, we are seeking an increased understanding and appreciation by senior management and other key stakeholders of security’s value and contribution to the bottom line.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

A Brief Introduction to the Value of Corporate Security for Non-Security Professionals

Corporate security can mean different things to different organizations. The SEC's Security Leadership Research Institute (SLRI)research has identified 20 different responsibilities that fall under a corporate security department.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Business Evolution Requires Active Security Alignment

As business continues to change, the next generation of security leaders must be prepared to change with it in order to succeed.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Rebuilding Influence after Corporate Restructuring

Company reorganizations are a fact of business that may have grown more frequent as our economy has changed in recent years. If Security will be reporting to a new boss, there are several questions you should ask yourself. This article provides insight into some of those questions.

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Faculty Advisor: Aligning Risk Management Goals with Business Priorities

How can I make sure my risk management goals align with senior management’s priorities?

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Faculty Advisor: Using Value Metrics to Make the Case for Security’s Return on Investment

We always strive to show the business side that corporate security is more than just “security tactics.” That what we do is strategic and makes a business contribution. Any thoughts on this?

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Faculty Advisor: Demonstrating That Security is Not Just an Expense

Security is usually considered a cost-center. But some of the things we do prevent unacceptable risks from occurring, which technically is saving money. Is there any thing we can do to demonstrate how we add to the bottom line?

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Faculty Advisor: The Need for Effectively Telling Security's Story

I’ve been in the top security position for three months. I’m the first security director for the company and about to start communicating security responsibilities to the organization. What is the best message I should be putting out?

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Faculty Advisor: Getting Traction for the Security Program Within the Organization

What do you consider to be some key components in developing a successful security program and, specifically, how should the role align with the organization?

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Enterprise Security Metrics: A Snapshot Assessment of Practices

This SEC report provides an assessment of the current use of metrics in corporate security management.

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Defining the Value of Security's Accomplishments

Here are some example slides that have been successful in helping define and present the value Security is bringing to the organization.

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Faculty Advisor: Communicating Risk Avoidance to Management

How do I focus management's attention on future risk?

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Insight on Demonstrating Value

Faculty Advisor: How to Really Connect with Your Business Leaders

What does “security” really do for our business?

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