Many executives believe they are successful if they meet their performance targets for
the year. Nothing gets your attention more than your performance standards. Failure to
achieve established goals can result in a change of scenery for you and the organization,
so there is strong motivation to do well and meet “your numbers.”
Does your organization incorporate cybersecurity “numbers” into its performance
standards? Is cybersecurity performance specifically addressed in the expectations your
organization establishes for you and your subordinates? Certainly, many companies are
known to have a “zero tolerance” program when it comes to information disclosure,
leakage of secrets, and cyber events, which tends to result in several employees packing
their bags as they seek new employment after a single noteworthy cyber incident.
This approach is not uncommon nor is it necessarily unreasonable. Maintaining
accountability is an appropriate and highly desired management and leadership attribute.
Perhaps you should expect to get fired if your actions (or lack thereof) cause significant
damage to the organization. For example, as we discussed in Chapter 5.0, where
appropriate, your policies should always spell out that failure to follow policy can lead
to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
We advise you to exercise wisdom and sound judgment when your employees permit
bad actors to penetrate your cybersecurity shield. Is this person one of your star
performers? Was it a lapse in judgment and common sense, did it fit with a long-term
pattern of carelessness, or was it an accident? Can you afford to live without this person?
If you exhibit compassion for one instance, do you dispense justice fairly and evenly to
all thereafter? Demonstrate wisdom to your employees. Show them that there are consequences
for mistakes and hold them responsible, but don’t let intransigence stand in
the way of intelligence.Many companies are now struggling on how to determine cybersecurity success.
How do you factor that into your annual “numbers”? How do you create meaningful
cybersecurity performance standards that can enhance your business?
Determining measures of success is essential for any job. Everyone wants to know
what the boss wants and how they will be measured for their performance. If you don’t
tell your employees what you value and what you expect them to do, they will give you
what they believe is best and expect to be rewarded based on their own criteria, not yours.
That is unacceptable for all parties. Be clear that you expect certain cybersecurity-related
performance measures to be included in their annual performance plan. As with most
performance standards, make them feasible, achievable, suitable, and measurable. (We
bet you thought we were going to say affordable. Stand by, that discussion is coming.)
You may be reading this and thinking, what kind of performance standards can I set
with cybersecurity in mind?
Let’s use the Plieno Steel Company9
and its third-shift supervisor, Rocky, as an
example. Rocky is responsible for the successful production of Plieno’s specialty steel
during his shift. He runs the mill and all activities during his shift. Rocky is a great leader
and his shift regularly outperforms other shifts. Sporting his trademark #20 Steelers jersey,
blue jeans, and black handlebar mustache, Rocky inspires his team to exceed all
performance standards. They usually do and they love him for his leadership.
How do you bring cybersecurity performance standards to a line supervisor like
Rocky?