Key Takeaways
- Governance aligns security with business
- Policy hierarchy structures requirements
- Metrics demonstrate program value
- Board engagement is essential
Contents
1. Security Governance Fundamentals
Security governance ensures that security activities align with business objectives and stakeholder expectations. It provides the structure for decision-making, accountability, and continuous improvement.
2. Policy Framework Hierarchy
Policy Hierarchy
- Policies: High-level statements of intent (WHAT)
- Standards: Mandatory requirements (HOW)
- Procedures: Step-by-step instructions
- Guidelines: Best practices (optional)
Essential Policies
- Information Security Policy (master policy)
- Acceptable Use Policy
- Access Control Policy
- Incident Response Policy
- Data Classification Policy
- Vendor Management Policy
3. Organizational Structure
# CISO Reporting lines:
# Option 1: Reports to CIO (common but conflicted)
# Option 2: Reports to CEO (better independence)
# Option 3: Reports to Board Risk Committee (ideal)
# Security team functions:
# - Security Operations (SOC)
# - Security Engineering
# - Risk & Compliance (GRC)
# - Identity & Access Management
# - Application Security
# - Security Architecture4. Building a Security Program
- Assess current state (maturity assessment)
- Define target state and roadmap
- Establish governance structure
- Develop policies and standards
- Implement security controls
- Build capabilities (people, process, technology)
- Measure and improve continuously
5. Security Metrics & KPIs
| Metric | What it Measures |
|---|---|
| MTTD | Mean time to detect incidents |
| MTTR | Mean time to respond/remediate |
| Patch SLA | Critical patches within N days |
| Phishing rate | Click rate on simulations |
| Risk score trend | Overall risk posture change |
| Control coverage | % of controls implemented |
6. Board-Level Reporting
- ✅ Executive summary (1 page)
- ✅ Key risk indicators with trends
- ✅ Major incidents and response
- ✅ Program progress vs. roadmap
- ✅ Resource requests with justification
- ✅ Peer benchmarking data
7. Building Security Culture
- Security awareness training (engaging, regular)
- Phishing simulations with positive reinforcement
- Security champions program in business units
- Clear reporting mechanisms
- Recognition for security contributions
8. Maturity Assessment
# Capability Maturity Model (CMM-style):
Level 1: Initial/Ad-hoc
Level 2: Repeatable
Level 3: Defined
Level 4: Managed
Level 5: Optimizing
# Use frameworks like:
# - NIST CSF
# - CIS Controls
# - ISO 27001
# - CMMC (defense contractors)FAQ
How often should we update policies?
Review policies annually at minimum, or when significant regulatory, business, or technology changes occur. Standards and procedures should be updated more frequently as needed.