Kimberly is the CEO at SecureNA, a company specializing in providing comprehensive IT services, end-user support, vendor management, and cybersecurity expertise. With over a decade of experience, Kimberly educates organizations on the need for cybersecurity and compliance, to help them reduce risk and gain a competitive edge. She helps businesses establish their value proposition through cybersecurity and risk management. She combines her expertise in tech, marketing, and strategic partnerships, to guide businesses to securely manage their information and data, build brand reputation, and enhance their market position. Her book, “Case for Investing in Cybersecurity Compliance”, reveals why companies need to invest time, resources, and finances into building a cybersecurity program; and how stakeholders can have these conversations with their team.
What are the common cybersecurity compliance misconceptions you encounter?
People have the misconception that being compliant with the framework means that they’re fully secure, but the reality is that compliance standards provide a baseline for security. It’s not a guarantee that you are completely secure. Instead, it allows you to have a framework to use as threat landscapes evolve. Another misconception is that people believe security and compliance is a one-time project. Compliance and cybersecurity is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, updating and improving security measures, so that you’re adapting to new threats and regulatory changes. People also think that compliance is an IT issue. They think that inputting technical controls is sufficient. While technical controls are important, compliance and cybersecurity involve more than that. There’s a holistic approach that’s required, which includes employees training people on security awareness. Compliance involves the entire organization, including senior management, HR, legal, and all your employees have to understand and care about cybersecurity. It requires a collaborative effort across many departments. You are only as strong as your weakest link.
How can organizations leverage cybersecurity compliance not just as a risk-management tool, but as a strategy to enhance their market position?
By having a well-documented cybersecurity program and being compliant with the recognized industry framework, you demonstrate that you care about cybersecurity, and customers are more likely to do business with organizations that prioritize protecting their data. So, beyond risk management, it’s a great way to build brand reputation, increase your position, and make you more competitive. It also improves your operational efficiency and risk management. Implementing cybersecurity and compliance involves adopting best- practices and streamlining operations, improving data management, and enhancing overall efficiency. By proactively having a cybersecurity program and a compliance framework in place, you reduce the risk of a data breach, and legal penalties, and you reduce operational disruptions that could lead to an unstable environment for your business. Finally, implementing a cybersecurity program also enhances incident response, which will minimize damage and recovery time for your business if an incident occurs.
How do you combine your global experience in tech, marketing, and strategic partnerships to create solutions for your clients?
Having worked across different regions and industries, I have an understanding of how cybersecurity measures need to be tailored to fi t their environments. This has allowed me to integrate cutting edge solutions for clients and help them anticipate future cybersecurity challenges, ensuring that they are not just compliant, but are staying ahead of the curve. My marketing experience has helped me in framing cybersecurity solutions from the perspective of the end-users and their clients. It can be very technical. I ensure that solutions are user-friendly, and clearly communicated with different stakeholders. Finally, my experience in strategic partnerships leverages alliances with key partners, stakeholders, vendors, and regulatory bodies, enabling businesses to adopt cybersecurity frameworks that will move them forward. Aligning cybersecurity strategies with broader business continuity and disaster recovery plans is important. By incorporating global best practices, I help clients build resilient systems that can withstand and quickly recover from cybersecurity incidents.
The Edge Team | Staff Writer
