Utility Company Saves $1.7M with an Open-Source Security Strategy
A leading utility company needed help understanding and implementing the compliance and security requirements associated with a newly won contract. The company lacked the required budget to fully address these needs with minimal financial impact, and leaders needed to bring the security and business teams together to find methods to meet their requirements within budget constraints.
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How to Unite Security and Business Stakeholders
IANS Research helped the utility company by facilitating effective communication between the business and security teams, which had been in conflict for years. By acting as a mediator, IANS Faculty was able to help both the business and security team members understand the other’s perspectives and needs. This collaboration led to the creation of a coherent strategy that aligned business goals with security and compliance requirements, enabling the company to move forward with a new line of business. We also helped the utility company identify open-source tools and approaches that would meet their requirements without exceeding budget, saving the company $1.7M and ensured timely project completion.
Open-Source Roadmap Delivers Compliance and ROI
The utility company received a coherent strategy for using open-source tools to meet its security and compliance needs. This strategy helped them align business goals with these requirements, allowing them to be secure and compliant without a significant budget increase. The utility company estimated a return on investment of about $1.7 million.
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How to Overcome Budget Gaps and Cross-Team Tensions
The utility company faced significant challenges after securing a contract, primarily due to not accounting for the necessary security and compliance costs in the initial budget. This oversight led to a financial strain, as the company needed to meet the contract requirements but lack the funds to cover the unexpected costs. The primary obstacle was finding a cost-effective solution to ensure compliance and security.
The company faced significant challenges in aligning business and security requirements due to a lack of clear communication and understanding between the business and security teams. The business team often moved forward without consulting the security team, leading to initiatives that were not properly secured. The security team, on the other hand, had a reputation for always saying no, which created tension and mistrust. This lack of coherence and collaboration resulted in a project being delayed for several years.
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Leveraging Open-Source Security Tools
Once the teams were able to communicate effectively and understand each other’s needs, they were able to move forward quickly and successfully. IANS built an integrated strategy, coherent strategy of tools and system. This provided a solution to the utility company by helping the security and business teams understand and address the unexpected compliance and security costs associated with the new contract. They were able to develop a strategy of using open-source tools, which allowed the company to meet their security and compliance requirements without a significant budget increase.
Achieving Optimized Budget and Business Growth
The utility company benefited from IANS by improving communication and alignment between their business and security teams. This led to the development of a coherent strategy that integrated business needs with security and compliance requirements. By using open-source tools and leveraging expert guidance, they successfully met their project goals on the new contract. This approach saved the company approximately $1.7 million, ensuring the company could operate securely and compliantly while managing its resources effectively and meeting customer needs.
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