Page 80 - Cyber Defense eMagazine Annual RSA Edition for 2024
P. 80
Accountability Drives Winning Teams in
Security
By Craig Burland, CISO, Inversion6
It’s not often that cybersecurity can draw lessons from college sports, but a theme from the recent NCAA
nd
Men’s and Women’s basketball championships bears discussing. The teams that advanced to the 2 ,
rd
th
3 and 4 weekends of the championships had a few things in common – talent, drive, passion and
accountability.
The adage that ‘security is everyone's responsibility’ is frequently voiced across boardrooms and IT
departments alike. While the sentiment behind this phrase is noble, its practical application often falls
short of creating the security environment that organizations strive for and boards of directors expect.
The reason? Merely stating that security is everyone's responsibility without embedding it into the fabric
of an organization's culture, processes and individual performance measures just isn’t enough.
Pat Summitt, the legendary Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach, once said, “Responsibility equals
accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or
organization can have.” This principle underscores a fundamental truth applicable across all types of
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