Crafting Engaging SOC Narratives for Executive Audiences, as per Gartner's Guidelines
Security leaders are tasked with communicating the value and impact of a Security Operations Center (SOC) to non-technical executives. To achieve this, a multitiered approach is essential, translating technical SOC performance into meaningful business outcomes that align with the organization's strategic goals.
Using Multitier Metrics
Presenting metrics at different levels of granularity is key. Detailed operational data, such as incident response time and threat detection rates, can be complemented with high-level business impact indicators, such as risk reduction, cost avoidance, and compliance status.
First-tier Metrics
First-tier findings speak directly to a business-facing objective, such as reducing a business risk. Examples include threat volume and incident trend metrics showing the evolving threat landscape and SOC responsiveness, mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR) conveying SOC efficiency, and business impact metrics like prevented financial losses, reduced downtime, and compliance adherence.
Second-tier Metrics
Second-tier metrics are usually made up of outcome-driven metrics (ODMs), describing progress toward a protection-level agreement. These metrics help demonstrate the SOC's contribution to the organization's overall success.
Aligning Communications with Business Goals
Effective communication involves expressing how SOC activities support broader organizational objectives, such as protecting critical infrastructure, ensuring regulatory compliance, avoiding reputational damage, and maintaining operational continuity. Using analogies and benchmarks familiar to executives can help reinforce the importance of the SOC's role.
Adopting Clear, Non-Technical Language and Structured Reporting
Avoiding jargon and focusing on the business implications of the SOC's performance is crucial. Dashboards or scorecards that distill key performance indicators into simple visuals aligned with risk and business priorities can help convey the SOC's value. Providing scenario-based summaries or incident case studies reinforces the value beyond technical success.
Promoting Regular and Transparent Communication
Establishing regular reporting forums between SOC leaders and executive stakeholders is essential for building trust and ensuring ongoing alignment. Encouraging openness about challenges and continuous improvement plans helps reinforce that investment in SOC capabilities is a strategic asset protecting business resilience.
In conclusion, effective communication to non-technical executives involves translating SOC operational metrics into business-relevant outcomes through multitier metrics frameworks and aligning SOC efforts explicitly with organizational risk and business goals, using clear, contextual language that resonates with board members and C-level leaders.
Pete Shoard, a VP analyst on Gartner's Cybersecurity Threat Detection & Response team, emphasizes the importance of articulating the SOC's goal in terms of maintaining competitive advantage, driving operational efficiency, and reducing financial losses. By focusing on these objectives, security leaders can better communicate the value and impact of their SOC to executives.
Sources: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]
Note: The sources are not listed in the provided information.
- To effectively communicate the value of a Security Operations Center (SOC) to non-technical executives, a multitiered approach is necessary, presenting metrics in different levels of granularity such as incident response time, threat detection rates, risk reduction, cost avoidance, compliance status, threat volume, MTTD, MTTR, prevented financial losses, and reduced downtime.
- Using clear, non-technical language and structured reporting, security leaders should highlight how SOC activities contribute to organizational objectives like protecting critical infrastructure, ensuring regulatory compliance, avoiding reputational damage, and maintaining operational continuity.
- Aligning SOC communications with business goals involves promoting regular and transparent communication for building trust and ensuring ongoing alignment, encouraging openness about challenges and continuous improvement plans.
- Emphasizing the SOC's role in maintaining competitive advantage, driving operational efficiency, and reducing financial losses, as outlined by Pete Shoard from Gartner's Cybersecurity Threat Detection & Response team, can help security leaders better communicate the value and impact of their SOC to executives.
