Cyber security: threats to operational resilience
Whether cyber attacks are from nation states, hacktivists, or organised criminals, they’re becoming ever more sophisticated. Combined with the rising digitalisation of business activity it means it’s becoming increasing difficult for an organisation to be genuinely resilient. Other business challenges can create issues too – such as legacy technology estates, the storage of sensitive information and the rise of hybrid working.
We believe that businesses cannot respond to growing threats by bolting a cyber security function alongside existing capabilities.But they need to take a wider-screen view of all potential vulnerabilities – business and technical – to improve their overall resilience.
At Berkeley, we ensure that we understand your business and recognise what’s important and critical for you. By deploying a small team in strategic positions within your organisation, we won’t overwhelm your business or take months to deliver results. Instead, we’ll work to quickly define and deliver solutions that are right for you. Your security is our priority.
The Berkeley consultant’s sharp business acumen coupled with an in-depth understanding of information security were invaluable assets during my first months in the role. Overall, the consultant was a key contributor to the success of my first 90 days in the company.
Out of the many hundreds of IT/cyber professionals and professional consultants I worked throughout my career, Berkeley clearly falls into in the top 10%. One of those who see the big picture, can easily zoom in and out, ultimately caring about the outcome and getting things done as if they were doing it for their own business. A rare skillset these days.
Actions speak louder than any advertisements. After working together, my only regret is that I did not know about Berkeley in my prior gigs.”Head of Information and Cyber Security, a supply chain and logistics company
Cyber security: defining strategy for success
The Berkeley Partnership supports organisations to develop and define their cyber security and operational resilience strategies. By helping our clients work through the outputs of risk assessments, we assist in developing a roadmap for change – all while ensuring activities are prioritised so that our clients can feel tangible benefits as soon as possible. Berkeley consultants understand that every business runs differently, so strategies and plans are centred on the unique context of each client. We don’t bring in off the shelf solutions.
Cyber security consultants from strategy through to delivery
Regardless of where you are in your resilience journey, The Berkeley Partnership is here to help. We work with our clients at all levels and pride ourselves on helping build capability at all of them. We’re adaptable as well as experienced, and can switch from policy and strategy to the detail of implementation in the most complex, high-stakes circumstances.
Pragmatic approach to operational resilience
We’re experts at defining functional strategies that strengthen our clients’ businesses and we’re committed to ensuring that those strategies are deliverable. We work with our clients to mobilise their cybersecurity and operational resilience roadmaps and then often help lead the delivery of projects that materially strengthen their capabilities. Our consultants combine their practical security domain knowledge with deep experience in programme delivery and business change to help our clients set their security programmes up for success.
Framing transformation for senior stakeholders
Cyber security and operational resilience is vital, but it’s crucial that senior stakeholders are on board to truly manage risk. Berkeley has vast experience of helping our clients with positioning their cyber security and operational resilience agendas with board members, including securing investment approvals. Bringing recommended interventions to life and framing them in language that makes sense to senior stakeholders can be decisive in moving a project forward. We partner with our clients to achieve this necessary buy in.
Cyber security and operational resilience can be unfathomable for the uninitiated. We believe the best approach is to bring everything down to the basics: a coherent, insight-driven strategy; well executed change; rigorous and efficient operations; and engaged and supportive leadership.”
Michael Owen, Partner
The Berkeley Partnership’s fundamentals for developing operational resilience
Our Advice
When providing cyber security consulting to clients, from formulating resilience strategies through to delivering tangible change to their cyber security capabilities, our advice is:
Know the business
What’s important versus what’s critical? What are the inherent organisational cyber security strengths and weaknesses?
Don’t let great be the enemy of good
It’s easy to be seduced into attempting a leap to the gold standard. Before embarking upon wholesale organisational change, first ask: “How good are we at the basics of cyber security?” It’s not glamourous but it is essential.
Judgement over theory
With cyber security, it’s impossible to analyse your way to success. True operational resilience is achieved by being pragmatic – developed through focused thinking, delivering meaningful change in manageable steps.
People are as important as machines
Too often cyber security is characterised as a technology arms race, but developing operational resilience relies as much on cultural and behavioural change within your business
Get into the heads of the decision makers
Governance, organisation and ownership are everything. Effective operational resilience should come from the top down, not as an afterthought.
The Berkeley Partnership’s fundamentals for developing operational resilience
Our Advice
When providing cyber security consulting to clients, from formulating resilience strategies through to delivering tangible change to their cyber security capabilities, our advice is:
Know the business
What’s important versus what’s critical? What are the inherent organisational cyber security strengths and weaknesses?
Don’t let great be the enemy of good
It’s easy to be seduced into attempting a leap to the gold standard. Before embarking upon wholesale organisational change, first ask: “How good are we at the basics of cyber security?” It’s not glamourous but it is essential.
Judgement over theory
With cyber security, it’s impossible to analyse your way to success. True operational resilience is achieved by being pragmatic – developed through focused thinking, delivering meaningful change in manageable steps.
People are as important as machines
Too often cyber security is characterised as a technology arms race, but developing operational resilience relies as much on cultural and behavioural change within your business
Get into the heads of the decision makers
Governance, organisation and ownership are everything. Effective operational resilience should come from the top down, not as an afterthought.
Client stories
Making an impact for our clients and turning their ambitions into real results.
Clients often ask us…
Question 1
What are the biggest cyber threats to my business?
Question 2
How do I establish my organisation’s impact tolerances for cyber and operational risks?
Question 3
How do I identify my biggest operational resilience risks, and shape and deliver a programme of work to mitigate them?
Question 4
How do I prioritise which cyber-security and operational resilience initiatives to invest in, when demand always outstrips supply?
Question 5
How do I persuade my business that cyber security and operational resilience is not just a technical issue / solution?
Question 6
How do I embed a culture of cyber security within my organisation?
Question 7
How do I justify an investment in cyber-security or operational resilience? How can I quantify the benefits when it may never happen?
Question 8
How do I respond to questions from my board / CEO about the latest ransomware attack, and whether I can guarantee that it would never happen to us?
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