Confessions of a Plate-Spinning CISO: Balancing Security and Compliance

The CISO's Plate-Spinning Act: Balancing Security in a Regulated World

Remember last month's high-wire act? Juggling business demands, securing technological leaps, and attempting to maintain a mature security posture using your collaborative superpowers. Well, as important as all that is, this week we delve deeper into the constant pressure of regulatory compliance and what that means to you. Imagine, instead of that bowling ball rolling down a tightrope, you're now standing in the center of a circus ring, each hand holding a spinning plate representing a different regulation – SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, EO 14028, the SEC's latest demands... the list goes on (and on). Each plate spins at its own frantic pace and the auditors come knocking at different times, which can threaten the spinning plate causing it to wobble and crash at any moment.

Building Trust, Plate by Plate

Some plates, like SOC2, ISO, and many other industry-specific regulations, represent the "good" side. They build trust and transparency, reassuring customers and partners of your commitment to security best practices. They focus on things like confidentiality, integrity, and availability and require companies to prove they have controls to meet these requirements in place and monitored. Unfortunately, these are just the warm-up act, but CISOs are ready!

Privacy Plates and the Spinning Frenzy

CISO’s are ready! And CISOs are talented however, so let’s add more plates. Privacy plates, to be exact. GDPR, CCPA, and others that seemingly get added each month depending on the region(s) where data processing and access is conducted. These plates demand a complete shift in mindset, requiring "security and privacy by design." They spin faster, more erratically, demanding proactive measures, not just reactive patching. It’s almost like they are covered in barbed-wire which affects the balance and adds danger if they were to crash on your head. AI…. no that’s for another time.

Executive Orders and the SEC's Spinning Blitz

CISO’s are ready, talented, and resilient! So let’s add even more plates. What can go wrong? Executive Order 14028 and the SEC's new security controls, we need plates for these now, right? These plates are brand new, spinning wildly with complex steps and documentation demands, the makers are the plates are heavyweights that made heavy plates and threaten to overwhelm even the most skilled plate-spinner. Specifically these plates;?

• Mandatory Reporting of Material Cybersecurity Incidents: Under new rules adopted in 2023, companies must report "material" cybersecurity incidents to the SEC within four business days of determining materiality. This requires prompt investigation and assessment of incidents to determine materiality quickly., and
• Annual Disclosure of Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, and Governance: Public companies must also include annual disclosures in their Form 10-K regarding their cybersecurity risk management practices, strategy, and governance. This includes details on risk identification, assessment, mitigation, incident response, and governance oversight.

And more to come….

The Compliance Trap: Spinning Doesn't Guarantee Security

But here's the catch: remember last month when I said, "You can be compliant and not secure, and secure and not compliant." Just because you're keeping all the plates spinning doesn't mean your organization is truly secure. There is no automatic standing ovation. You may be so focused on keeping a specific plate spinning you miss a critical vulnerability lurking beneath another and when you shift to that plate, Crash! Crash! Crash!! But CISOs are resiliant…

Spinning Smarter: Strategies for Success

So, how do you keep the plates spinning without collapsing under the pressure? Here are some tips:

• Master the Core: Identify the core security controls that most effectively address your risks and regulations. Don't try to spin every single plate – focus on the ones that truly matter.
• Leverage Automation: Repetitive tasks like documentation and reporting? Automate them! Free up your time to focus on strategic security initiatives and spinning the more critical plates. (Someone has an automated plate spinner available, I assure you)
• Consolidate and Combine: Look for opportunities to consolidate overlapping regulations or leverage evidence from one audit to meet another. Spinning fewer plates is always better!
• Collaboration is Key: Partner with legal and compliance teams to anticipate regulatory shifts and identify potential pitfalls before they become spinning disasters.

Remember, CISOs, you're not alone in this circus act. By sharing experiences, collaborating on strategies, and leveraging technology, we can transform this plate-spinning frenzy into a well-rehearsed security performance, earning thunderous applause for our commitment to both compliance and true security.

By doing this it also helps keep us employed and less likely to have to join that traveling circus, even if that has always been your dream.

#CISOs #Cybersecurity #Regulations #Compliance #Collaboration #SecurityAwareness