Internal or External Driver?

About this interactive

Building a security program eats time, energy and money, so organizations rarely do it without a push. The lesson groups the pushes into two kinds. External drivers come from outside the organization. Customers increasingly demand security, and many will not become customers until certain policies or controls are in place. Laws and regulations keep raising the bar. Cyber insurers now set requirements before they will even quote. Industry bodies and partners can set rules too. Internal drivers come from inside. Most often it is a pain point: something was hacked, there was a compromise or a scam, and now the organization wants change. It can also be a decision made inside, by leadership, an audit or a team, to get ahead of the risk. The lesson's point is that most organizations are reactive, changing only after pain or outside pressure. The goal is to become proactive: the rules customers, regulators and insurers impose exist to protect people, and a proactive program protects both customers and the business. To sort a card, ask where the push came from: a party outside the organization, or something that happened or was decided inside it.

What you'll learn

Tell an external driver of a security program (customers, laws and regulations, cyber insurance, industry requirements) from an internal one (an incident, a near miss or a decision made inside the organization)

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+

5.1 Summarize elements of effective security governance.

ISC2 CISSP

1.3 Evaluate and apply security governance principles

Key terms

External Drivers: Forces outside an organization, such as customer requirements, laws and regulations, or cybersecurity insurance requirements, that compel the development of a cybersecurity program.
Internal Drivers: Forces originating within an organization, such as a past security incident or leadership mandate, that motivate the development of a cybersecurity program.
Cybersecurity Program: An ongoing organizational function that encompasses risk assessment, policy development, regulatory compliance, employee training, and accountability to protect the organization continuously.
Regulatory Compliance: The adherence to laws, government regulations, and industry standards that mandate how an organization must protect data and systems. Failure to meet regulatory requirements can result in fines, legal liability, and reputational damage.

Topics

Governance Cybersecurity Program Security Program Drivers Interactive Categorize

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