An Agile Cyber Security Advisory Committee Framework: The Triad Approach - A Getting Started Guide

In a landscape dominated by increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, establishing a Cyber Security Advisory Committee has become vital for organisations practising or requiring a clear communication and reporting strategy. This committee, underpinned by a structure I coined the "Triad Reporting Approach", which focuses on the interconnectedness of Threat Intelligence, Proactive Security Measures and Performance, and System Security Posture and Initiatives as the primary reporting sections.

Each section is tailored to ensure committee members are updated with relevant information that contributes to decision-making and threat response activities.

Let's dive into these sections with insights that may contribute to your existing reporting framework or help guide you in implementing a new Cyber Security Advisory Committee within your organisation. Ideally, you should be reporting quarterly, and such information gathering should be based on this reporting timeframe.

Threat Intelligence: The Forefront of Cyber Vigilance

The first aspect, Threat Intelligence, involves creating an in-depth awareness of the cyber threats that loom globally and, more specifically, within your industry (there's a two-pronged approach here). It entails a continuous process of gathering, analysing, and applying information from reliable threat intelligence sources (and I recommend paid threat intel services) about threats, emerging or present, that can further protect the organisation. The committee must evaluate this intelligence to develop or support strategies that preemptively mitigate these risks.

Regular updates on reported incidents, trends, and potential vulnerabilities are crucial for staying ahead of cyber adversaries, especially highlighting findings during forensics activities. The effectiveness of this intelligence gathering is measured not just in the information collected but in how it's translated into actionable defensive strategies.

End this section with continuous improvement opportunities identified through your reporting and highlight areas across your System where your security posture can be enhanced.

Proactive Security Measures and Performance: Building Robust Defences

The second aspect, Proactive Security Measures and Performance, involves the organisation’s active defence mechanisms, part of your defence-in-depth strategy. This includes a comprehensive review of the security measures in place, such as the outcomes of penetration tests, the effectiveness of cyber security awareness programs, and the robustness of vendor security assessments. Regularly assessing these areas ensures the organisation is not just reactive but also anticipates and prevents potential security breaches. The committee's role here is to ensure these measures are effective, efficient, and in alignment with the organisation's overall security strategy.

Supply chain attacks are increasing, so ensuring you control your vendors using Cyber Security assessments is a great start to ensuring services and platforms delivered via your vendors align with your information security objectives. Here, you can report on newly onboarded vendors, including vendors that did not pass the assessment and why.

Simulated Cyber Security exercises are a great way to test your controls and incident response planning capabilities, ensuring your SecOps team remains prepared should a actual incident occur. Simulation of Cyber Security incidents should be coordinated within a controlled environment and target specific areas of the System based on levels of criticality or complexity. Report on the simulation objective, success criteria, and outcome at a minimum.

Vulnerability management across your System assets also deserves a highlight in reporting to provide insights into known vulnerabilities across platforms utilised within the organisation. Some vulnerabilities are so severe they can have significant impact on operations, resulting in unplanned outages, additional financial support, or even emergency changes. This is your chance to highlight such and help mitigate 'vulnerability surprise'.

Again, end the section with your identified continuous improvement opportunities that will further enhance your overall security posture and help refine your Information Security objectives.

System Security Posture and Initiatives: Assessing and Enhancing Infrastructure

The third component, System Security Posture, deals with the overall health of the organisation's infrastructure. It’s about ensuring that the System is not just secure but also resilient and adaptable to the changing cyber landscape, which includes new attack vectors and controls designed to mitigate such. This involves routine audits, compliance checks, and security configuration reviews to maintain and enhance the security posture. As the CIO or CISO, you must have confidence in your system security state.

Provide a summary of your current System security state, including performance, changes, investments, improvements, and completed projects, all aimed at enhancing your overall system security posture. For organisations adhering to compliance frameworks such as ISO27001, Right-Fit-For-Risk (RFFR) ISM controls, and others, it's important to provide an update on alignment with such governance and risk commitments, such as progress of objectives tabled within your System Security Policy.

Highlight any SecOps continuous learning opportunities such as relevant conferences, professional development initiatives, or any other contributing investments into employee development.

Lastly, detail your continuous improvement opportunities for this section, highlighting once again you are not just reporting on the known metrics and information but also remaining proactive in improving your security posture.

Operational Dynamics of the Committee

Outside of the reporting section, it's important to understand that the success of the Cyber Security Advisory Committee hinges on its operational dynamics and relevancy. Meetings should be agile, audience relevant, and driven by clear and factual language. Including decision-makers in these meetings ensures that the cyber security strategies align with the broader organisational goals and receive the necessary support while also demonstrating commitment. Moreover, the committee must foster a culture of continuous improvement, regularly revisiting and refining cyber security practices to stay ahead of potential threats with the keyword here being proactive.

As a guideline, and dependent on the size and dynamics of your organisation, quarterly 30 to 45-minute meetings should be a sufficient start for your Cyber Security Advisory Committee.

Tip: Don't forget to document the meeting for compliance purposes; the minutes make great evidence.

Conclusion: Steering Towards a Resilient Cyber Future

The establishment of a Cyber Security Advisory Committee using the Triad Reporting Approach marks a significant stride in an organisation's journey towards cyber resilience. This approach ensures a balanced and comprehensive strategy in dealing with the complexities of the cyber world through routine communication and management practices. Through informed decision-making, proactive measures, and continuous adaptation, the committee can effectively guide the organisation in navigating the challenges of cyber security.

Final Thoughts: Embracing the Journey

The journey of establishing and operating a Cyber Security Advisory Committee is a commitment to cyber security excellence, and this aims to serve as a starting point for organisations and managers leading such initiatives.

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