What are the nine practices of a successful security leader?

The Security Executive Council offers leadership advice in this area. “The Nine Practices of the Successful Security Leader” report was created from a series of in-depth practitioner interviews with security executives about their top organizational risks, business alignment and drivers, internal influence issues and senior management’s view of security. The resulting qualitative analysis uncovered nine practices that the interviewees with highly successful, internally recognized security programs had in common:

• The creation of a robust internal awareness program for the security department, including formal marketing and communication initiatives.
• Ensuring that senior management is made aware of what security is and does.
• Walk-and-talk methodology—regularly talking to senior business leaders about their problems and how security can help.
• Conversing in business risk terminology, not “security.”
• Understanding the corporate culture and adapting to it.
• Winning respect by refusing to exploit fear, uncertainty and doubt.
• Basing the security program goals on the company’s business goals.
• Having top-level support from Day One.
• Portraying security as a bridging facilitator or coordinator across all functions.

The report examines each practice and discusses its impact on security success. To download the report at no charge, visit https://www.securityexecutivecouncil.com/spotlight/?sid=26750&sc=NL9_9Practices.