Tactics of command: insights for CIOs drawn from military strategy
In today's digital landscape, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) play a pivotal role in safeguarding their organisation's data and mitigating risks. This proactive stance is inspired by the "intelligence cycle" developed by military theorists, which is designed to generate actionable intelligence.
The intelligence cycle, comprising five key stages - direction and planning, collection, processing and exploitation, analysis and production, and dissemination and integration - provides a framework for CIOs to assess and minimise organisational risks. This strategic application was first adopted by a CIO in Germany in the early 2000s, marking a trend towards integrating military risk assessment methodologies into enterprise risk management.
One of the primary focuses of this approach is the identification and management of insider threats. By harnessing a combination of data sets such as physical access control logs, intranet traffic logs, email traffic logs, and social media feeds, CIOs can effectively address potential risks from within the organisation.
However, the challenge for CIOs lies in identifying and activating disparate datasets across the organisation for analysis. This is where a more proactive and agile approach comes into play. By adopting such an approach, CIOs can drive their organisation forward and cement their position at the heart of the organisation.
Modern militaries have established principles to avoid reactive and defensive mindsets, such as "offensive action", "high combat readiness", "aggressiveness and decisiveness", "offensive", and "initiative and flexibility". These principles can serve as a guide for CIOs as they strive to take proactive measures against corporate risks.
Proactive measures may involve engaging with customers, staff, or contractors, commissioning legal services, or engaging vendor marketplaces. Guy Montgomery, chairman of Centient, suggests the concept of using a military-style intelligence approach in the corporate environment.
In the corporate environment, datasets and information sources range from email platforms to physical security systems, traffic logs, and open source data from various web sources. By harnessing these resources and embracing their central role in assessing risk and reducing threats, CIOs can take a leading role in shaping their organisation's future.
However, it's important to note that CIOs often find themselves in a reactive mindset, which can increase organisational risk. By shifting to a more proactive approach, CIOs can ensure they are not only reacting to threats but also taking steps to prevent them.
In conclusion, CIOs can leverage the intelligence cycle to take a proactive and strategic approach to risk management. By identifying, collecting, and assessing information, analysing and producing actionable intelligence, and disseminating and integrating this intelligence across the organisation, CIOs can drive their organisation forward and minimise risks in a more effective and efficient manner.
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