EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

As a CISO, you know that cyber security can be your company’s competitive differentiator. In an industry survey, 70% of respondents reported that their organizations use cyber security as a selling point with business partners and customers. What is your role in highlighting cyber security as part of your organization’s value proposition?

Promote your cyber security initiatives. If you’re not already doing so, you’ll want to gently advertise them to internal stakeholders, and then request for your marketing and PR teams to showcase them in external-facing communications. Focus on details pertaining to data encryption, how online transactions are managed, and third-party data acquisition.

Encourage the appropriate teams to reach out to current customers regarding new cyber security initiatives. Send an email blast. It’s always worthwhile to convey what types of improvements your team has worked on, and how that benefits end-users. This type of proactive communication will impress clients, and encourage them to spread the word about how great your company is.

Remind federal sales teams that are engaged in securing federal contracts to include a blurb about cyber security at the bottom of their proposals. It may be the pivotal element cementing a decision to offer your organization a contract.

And last but not least, on your organization’s website, emphasize your team’s talent. Within your company’s ‘about’ page, include a link to a description of your team. Give each person an individual profile, and write about his/her experience and qualifications. This emphasizes the value that they create every day.

Reinforcing your role and your team’s role within your organization is sure to leave both internal and external folks feeling confident. For an in-depth analysis of how to gain digital trust, read this Harvard Business Review report.