cybersecurity-8-7-19.pngWithout a comprehensive cyber risk governance strategy, banks risk playing Whac-A-Mole with their cybersecurity.

Most financial institutions’ cybersecurity programs are tactical or project-oriented, addressing one-off situations and putting out fires as they arise. This piecemeal approach to cybersecurity is inefficient and increasingly risky, given the growing number of new compliance requirements and privacy and security laws. Institutions are recognizing that everyone in the C-suite should be thinking about the need for a cyber risk governance strategy.

There are three key advantages to having a cyber risk governance strategy:

  • Effectively managing the audit and security budget: Organizations that address current risks can more effectively prepare for cybersecurity threats, while meeting and achieving consistent audit results. A thorough risk assessment can highlight real threats and identify controls to evaluate on an ongoing basis through regular review or testing.
  • Reducing legal exposure: Companies and their officers can reduce the potential for civil and criminal liability by getting in front of cybersecurity and demonstrating how the institution is managing its risk effectively.
  • Getting in front of cybersecurity at an organizational level: Strategic planning is an important shift of responsibility for management teams. It proactively undertakes initiatives because it’s the right thing to do, versus an auditor instructing a company to do them.

So what’s required to set up a cyber risk governance strategy? Most organizations have talented individuals, but not necessarily personnel that is focused on security. Compounding the industry shortage of cybersecurity professionals, banks may also lack the resources necessary to do a risk assessment and ensure security practices are aligned to the cyber risk governance. As a result, banks frequently bring in vendors to help. If that’s the case, they should undertake a cyber risk strategy assessment with the help of their vendor.

Bank boards can perform a cyber risk governance strategy assessment in three phases:

  1. An assessment of the current cyber risk governance strategy. In phase one, a vendor’s team will review a bank’s current organizational and governance structure for managing information security risk. They’ll also review the information technology strategic plan and cybersecurity program to understand how the bank implements information security policies, standards and procedures. This provides a baseline of the people and processes surrounding the organization’s cyber risk governance and information security risk tolerance.
  2. Understand the institution’s cyber risk footprint. Here, a vendor will review the technology footprint of customers, employees and vendors. They’ll look at internal and external data sources, the egress and ingress flow of data, the data flow mapping, the technology supporting data transport and the technology used for servicing clients, employees, and the third parties who support strategic initiatives.
  3. Align information security resources to cyber governance goals. In phase three, a vendor will help the bank’s board and executives understand how its people, process and technology are aligned to achieve the company’s institution’s cyber governance goals. They’ll review the bank’s core operations and document the roles, processes and technology surrounding information security. They’ll also review the alignment of operational activities that support the bank’s information security strategic goals, and document effective and ineffective operational activities supporting the board’s cyber governance goals.

Once the assessment is complete, a bank will have the foundation needed to follow up with an operational analysis, tactical plan and strategic roadmap. With the roadmap in place, a bank can craft a cyber risk strategy that aligns with its policies, as well as an information security program that addresses the actual risks that the organization faces. Instead of just checking the boxes of required audits, bank boards can approach the assessments strategically, dictating the schedule while feeling confident that its cyber risks are being addressed.

WRITTEN BY

Scott Petree