Many organizations have robust security practices, frameworks, and governance mechanisms, yet fail to effectively communicate these efforts to their current and potential clientele.
The Significance of Compliance
In today’s ever-evolving threat landscape, where attacks are increasingly sophisticated, compliance frameworks and standards like ISO 27001 provide organizations with structured systems comprising policies, processes, and practices aimed at safeguarding their information assets. While I acknowledge that mere certification may not suffice without robust practices and governance mechanisms, that’s a discussion for another day.
This blog post explores how organizations can leverage their security practices and compliance efforts to foster trust among their customers.
Website Presence
Dedicating a page on your website specifically for security isn’t a bad idea. Here, you can showcase security practices, attained certifications, and collaterals like handbooks, case studies, etc. Consider making these certificates downloadable for easy access to details like scope and location. For inspiration, check out Slack’s security page: https://slack.com/security
Integration into Marketing Materials
Integrating security and data protection content into your marketing and sales collateral can be a powerful differentiator, giving you a competitive edge. For example, including a slide that highlights your organization’s security practices during a sales discussion can greatly enhance customer confidence. This will address one of the key concerns many customers have when evaluating a new product or service – the security of their data.
Regular Communication
Devise a regular communication plan to keep clients informed. For instance, in the event of a new cyber attack reported in the industry, provide communication detailing the incident and explain your security practices and controls to defend against such attacks. Keep clients informed about the latest trends in the cybersecurity space. You may also consider publishing an annual security report. Take a look at Equifax’s annual security report for an example: https://assets.equifax.com/marketing/US/assets/2022-security-annual-report.pdf
Facilitating Round Tables & Events
Hosting round tables and webinars focusing on current cybersecurity topics and encouraging client representation can underscore your organization’s commitment to cybersecurity.
Providing Clients with a Compliance Dashboard
Offer clients access to a dashboard showcasing your organization’s compliance posture. This initiative fosters transparency and bolsters trust between the organization and its clients.
Security Awareness Month
Encourage client participation in Security Awareness Month and similar initiatives. Extend invitations for their involvement as guests, nurturing the relationship while promoting security awareness.
Feel free to share additional ideas and suggestions in the comments section.
