Management Buy-in and Leadership is Critical
Achieving certification will require your organization’s time, money, people, and resources. Ensure that the company leadership champions the program and has oversight of all certification activities. Without management involvement, cybersecurity programs lack the ability to align cybersecurity to business objectives and the underlying risks to the organization.
Planning is Essential
Ensuring your cybersecurity program is robust, yet adaptable, is critical to today’s regulatory compliance and emerging threats. Developing a clear roadmap will avoid costly mistakes as your organization works to achieve certification. Activities such as gap assessments have the potential to save your organization from many of the costly mistakes that other government contractors have made.
Develop a Realistic Budget to Achieve and Maintain Certification
The size and complexity of your organization will impact the costs associated with maintaining an effective cybersecurity program. Ensure regulatory compliance and risk management are included in financial budgets, and plan for increased costs during the initial certification. Additionally, ensure your budget aligns to any changes or growth in your overall IT architecture, migration, and transformation strategy.
Experience Matters - Advisor and Assessment Organizations are Not Equal
Select a PCI SSC-authorized QSA company with experienced advisors and assessors who understand the complexity of regulatory compliance and have the experience and ability to map and leverage other regulatory frameworks, such as FISMA, FedRAMP, ISO, SOC, etc. to provide unique and cost-effective solutions. Vet all QSA companies to ensure you’re getting the right team to support your cybersecurity goals.
