For some exposition on this, check out the first few pages of Lawrence Freedman’s (no relation) Strategy: A History.īut despite the word’s overuse, strategy is an important business function that makes leaders and organizations more effective and efficient. “Strategy” has become one of the most meaningless words in the dictionary, used so frequently and in so many ways that it has lost its salience. But if there is no overarching strategy that integrates these functions, security executives will forever be reacting to contact instead of driving a proactive risk management agenda. Each, whether performed in-house or contracted out, is critical to protecting an organization’s assets. The challenge with these solutions - which the accelerating global threat environment has laid bare – is in their patchwork nature. Travel security and business continuity policies aim to keep company personnel safe overseas and minimize business disruptions. Cyber threat intelligence provides IT security teams insight into the latest tactics, techniques, and procedures from the likes of Russia and North Korea. Geopolitical risk subscriptions can keep leaders informed of foreign political developments. Traditionally, there have been some go-to options for security leaders interested in mitigating their organization’s global risk exposure. Staying ahead of threats feels more difficult than ever before, and not keeping up can result in your company’s name in the headlines or even personal legal risk. From cyber threats to terrorism, pandemics to supply chain compromise, companies must contend with a rapidly changing global risk environment. Global security risks are mounting, creating a nightmare for senior security executives.