DTX Playbook - Chapter 2 - IT Governance & Cybersecurity Resiliency

Welcome to the Digital Transformation (DTX) Playbook – Chapter 2

IT Governance & Cybersecurity.

In the rapidly evolving digital Generative AI landscape, cybersecurity remains a paramount concern for organizations worldwide. Infact with Generative AI it is the number one @Board of Director's risk priority. When building your Digital Transformation Playbook getting the basic IT and Cybersecurity foundation is paramount to sustainable success.

This Chapter was built by applying good best practices of IT Governance & Cybersecurity resiliency frameworks that has protected Fortune 500 & 1000 companies that I have had the opportunity to work and protect them from quadrillion cyber vulnerabilities without one breach in over 30 years.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework offers a comprehensive approach to managing and mitigating cyber risks. Integrating Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE) techniques and establishing robust Information Governance (IG) processes can significantly enhance the 7 layers of Cybersecurity effectiveness of this framework, ensuring a more resilient and secure digital infrastructure.

This Chapter will highlight “what” and “how” IT Governance and Cybersecurity are critical foundationally to a Digital Transformation strategy leveraging four integrated frameworks:

1.????? Establishing ITEC – Information Technology Executive Council

2.????? National Institute of Standards & Technology NIST

3.????? Leveraging Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE)

4. 7 Layers of Cybersecurity

We welcome feedback from other thought leaders to add to these fundamentals in the spirit that other CXOs can help their companies with a secure Strategy Execution of their Digital Transformation journey.

Spotlight on ITEC: Pioneering Technological Excellence in Business Strategy

In Chapter 1 - IT Assessment & Strategic Planning of the DTX Playbook we shared the dynamic realm of digital transformation, aligning technology selection with business strategy has never been more crucial. The Information Technology Executive Council (ITEC) stands at the forefront of this endeavor, embodying a cross-functional stakeholder organization dedicated to ensuring that the right technology is properly selected and vetted to fulfill strategic business objectives. This edition of our newsletter delves into the pivotal role of ITEC, exploring how its collaborative framework and rigorous processes empower organizations to navigate the complexities of technological advancement and integration while addressing Cyber risk as well.

ITEC: A Beacon of Strategic Technology Governance

ITEC represents a coalition of senior IT leaders, business executives, and other key stakeholders who converge to form a strategic oversight body. This council is not just about technology for technology's sake; it's a strategic partner that ensures technology investments are in lockstep with the overarching goals of the organization. Through its cross-functional composition, ITEC fosters a holistic view of technological impact, ensuring decisions are made with a comprehensive understanding of business needs, challenges, and opportunities.

The Core Functions of ITEC

• Screening and Selection: ITEC plays a critical role in the initial screening of technological solutions, ensuring they align with strategic business objectives. This involves a thorough evaluation of potential technologies, from emerging innovations to established systems, to identify those that offer the most significant value. A strong IT Procurement strategy is key with RFI/RFPs being completed with the IT embedded in the process.
• Challenge and Validation: Beyond initial selection, ITEC actively challenges assumptions and validates the effectiveness of proposed technology solutions. This rigorous scrutiny ensures that only the most viable and impactful technologies are pursued, mitigating the risk of costly missteps. An Architecture Review Board (ARB) is key during this step to ensure that the technology meets Regulatory, Compliance, and Cybersecurity Resiliency requirements both in you operating environments as well as legally within the countries and regulatory bodies that you are accountable.
• Stakeholder Engagement: ITEC ensures that all relevant stakeholders are engaged in the technology selection process. This inclusive approach ensures diverse perspectives are considered, enriching the decision-making process and fostering organizational buy-in as part of an Organizational Change Management (OCM) strategy.
• Ensuring Alignment with Business Strategy: At its core, ITEC ensures that technological initiatives are perfectly aligned with the business strategy. By acting as a bridge between IT and business units, ITEC guarantees that technology investments are not just strategic but also deliver tangible business outcomes.

The Impact of ITEC on Organizational Success

Organizations that harness the power of ITEC benefit from a strategic, disciplined approach to technology selection and implementation. This not only enhances operational efficiency and innovation but also ensures that technology investments contribute directly to achieving business goals. Moreover, ITEC's emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder engagement cultivates a culture of shared responsibility and commitment to technological and business success. The ITEC also offers a single intake for technology demands which enhances your ability to maintain an accurate inventory of critical applications, perform Cyber Informed Engineering and manage Risks, and track compliance as the cybersecurity laws and regulations are evolving so rapidly.

Conclusion

The Information Technology Executive Council (ITEC) is more than just a committee; it's a strategic powerhouse that ensures technology serves as a catalyst for achieving and sustaining business excellence. Through its meticulous selection and vetting processes, cross-functional collaboration, and unwavering focus on strategic alignment, ITEC empowers organizations to harness the full potential of technology in realizing their vision and objectives. As we move forward, the insights and governance provided by ITEC will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the technological landscape of businesses worldwide.

Harnessing Cyber Informed Engineering and Information Governance within the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework offers a comprehensive approach to managing and mitigating cyber risks using an outcome-based approach. Integrating Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE) techniques and establishing robust Information Governance (IG) processes can significantly enhance the effectiveness of this framework, ensuring a more resilient and secure digital infrastructure.

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) CSF is the most globally popular cybersecurity framework, as it provides a common language and best practices for managing cyber risks across different sectors and regions. The framework is based on outcomes, which are the desired results of implementing cybersecurity activities. Outcomes are organized into five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. The framework is also very flexible, allowing organizations to customize it according to their specific needs and goals.

A best practice not many organizations use to enhance the NIST CSF is to measure each outcome against three focus areas: People, Process, and Technology. These are the essential components of any IT and cybersecurity system, and they need to be aligned and coordinated to achieve optimal results. By assessing each outcome against these focus areas, organizations can quickly identify opportunities for improvement, as well as prioritize the actions that will have the most impact on their desired outcome. Measuring the performance of your people, process, and technology is critical for agile continuous improvement. This way you know if you have the right people in place and trained, the right process and place and can attest to it, and the right technology in place and it is optimized. Instead of getting one composite score for all NIST attributes you get 3 independent scores on People, Process and Technology for each security attribute. This enables you to address if you need People, Process of Technology solutions and helps justify investments to the Board in a clear and justifiable method.

(Note: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) just released NIST CSF 2.0 which conveniently added governance as a key pillar).

Cyber Informed Engineering: Good IT is Good Cybersecurity

Initially coined by the ECRA | Idaho National Laboratory's Early Career Researchers Association , Cyber Informed Engineering converges the cybersecurity body of knowledge and methodologies with engineering processes to design, implement, and manage secure systems from the ground up. While INL’s focus was on Operating Technologies (OT), this practice works for all IT and OT systems. By incorporating CIE techniques into the NIST framework, organizations can leverage basic cybersecurity methodologies such as threat modeling, simulation, and automated compliance checks prior to system being ever deployed. This combined focus of your Cybersecurity team along with your technical IT team ensures IT and OT systems are engineered with Cyber resiliency in mind every time. It fortifies the companies risk posture, but also streamlines the adaptation of emerging technologies, ensuring they align secure by design.

Key benefits of integrating CIE within the NIST framework include:

• Systematic Risk Identification: Leveraging engineering models to predict and mitigate potential security vulnerabilities before they are exploited.
• Enhanced Compliance: Automated tools and simulations can ensure continuous adherence to cybersecurity laws and regulations.
• Agility in Security Architecture Design: Facilitating the rapid prototyping and testing of security solutions to address evolving threats.

Establishing Information Governance: The Backbone of Cybersecurity

Information Governance (IG) is a discipline that encompasses several key areas including law, records management, information technology, risk management, privacy and cybersecurity, and business operations. The policies, procedures, and technologies are key to manage, utilize, and protect organizational data. Establishing a solid IG framework is crucial for aligning with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, as it ensures data is handled securely and ethically throughout its lifecycle.

Effective Information Governance involves:

• Data Classification and Control: The process of organizing information into categories for efficient retrieval and use.

·??????? Access Management: The process of managing who has access to information and under what conditions (Principle of Least Privilege).

·??????? Information lifecycle: The stages that data goes through the process from raw data to information creation to disposal.

·??????? Cybersecurity: The practice of protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

·??????? Data governance: The process of managing the availability, usability, integrity, and security of the data used in an organization

• Compliance and Privacy: Adhering to regulatory requirements and privacy laws to protect stakeholder interests and maintain trust.

Conclusion

The integration of Cyber Integrated Engineering techniques and the establishment of robust Information Governance within the NIST Cybersecurity Framework presents a forward-thinking approach to cybersecurity. This synergistic model not only enhances an organization's defense mechanisms but also promotes a culture of security awareness and compliance. As cyber threats continue to evolve, adopting such an integrated strategy will be critical in safeguarding digital assets and ensuring long-term resilience. Leveraging AI & Analytics to assist with triage of Incident Management is the only technique possible to keep up with all the High, Medium, and Low risk vulnerabilities.

7 Layers of Cybersecurity Resiliency

The concept of "7 layers of cybersecurity" typically refers to a framework for understanding and implementing comprehensive cybersecurity measures across different aspects of IT infrastructure. While the specific terminology and focus areas might vary slightly, the following outline provides a general overview of the layers that are commonly recognized within the cybersecurity domain:

1. Physical Security: This layer involves protecting the physical assets of an organization, such as servers, computers, and network devices, from unauthorized access, theft, or damage. Measures include security guards, surveillance systems, locked doors, and biometric access controls.
2. Network Security: Focused on protecting the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data in transit. Network security involves deploying firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and secure VPNs for encrypted communications.
3. Endpoint Security: Concerned with securing individual devices (endpoints) that connect to the network, including computers, mobile devices, and servers. Solutions include antivirus/anti-malware software, personal firewalls, and patch management systems to protect against malware and other cyber threats.
4. Application Security: This layer aims to ensure that applications are secure and free from vulnerabilities that could be exploited. It involves secure coding practices, regular security testing (e.g., penetration testing and code reviews), and application firewalls.
5. Data Security: Protecting the data itself, whether at rest or in transit, to ensure its confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Techniques include encryption, tokenization, data masking, and implementing strict access controls and data leakage prevention (DLP) strategies.
6. Identity and Access Management (IAM): Involves ensuring that only authorized individuals can access certain data or systems and that their level of access is appropriate for their role. This layer includes user authentication, authorization, role-based access control (RBAC), and the management of digital identities and credentials.
7. Security Policies and Training: The final layer focuses on establishing comprehensive security policies, procedures, and training programs to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices and the importance of following these guidelines. This includes regular security awareness training, incident response plans, and the development of a security-minded organizational culture.

These layers work together to form a multi-faceted and in-depth resiliency defense strategy against cyber threats, ensuring that vulnerabilities are minimized at every level of the organization's IT infrastructure.

Conclusion

In summary, Cybersecurity is simply implementing good IT practices leveraging ITEC, CIE, NIST, and the 7 Layers of Cybersecurity Resiliency models to ensure that your Digital Transformation has a secure foundation to enable the business strategy without risk of business disruption.

Key Deliverables:

1. ITEC Governance Model
2. Information Governance Model
3. NIST Maturity Assessment measured by People, Process, & Technology
4. Cyber Informed Engineering Model
5. 7 Layers of Cybersecurity Technology Resiliency Best Practice Solutions

?Join our Digital Transformation Network & DTX Playbook Newsletter and stay tune for Chapter 3 – Chapter 3 – Personal Computing, Network Engineering & Infrastructure.

#digitaltransformation #strategyexecution #okr #cio #genai