One of the big problems with building a business is ensuring that processes & procedures scale. Information Technology programs are no exception. We spend as much time as we can building in automation such that our precious resources are not consumed repeating a task over and over.

Security is no different.

In fact, there are several tactical security tasks that require strategic planning in order to scale them. For example, patch management tends to be a big issue for many companies, especially retailers. How do I create a system that allows me to do massive patching with limited (if any) downtime? How can I ensure a high rate of success? How do I keep exception management to a minimum?

We work with several large companies that deal with this on a daily basis. Ultimately, when faced with a deadline, companies are more likely to react with a tactical solution (let’s hire 100 contractors and go run Windows Update) as opposed to investing the time & money to make a viable long term solution that scales. Cost is definitely an issue, but long term gains are to be had with strategic security and IT planning.

What are some other areas that have issues with scale?

  1. Identity Management
  2. User Provisioning
  3. Hardware Provisioning
  4. Software Deployment

When building budgets and doing strategic planning, security professionals should spend time ensuring new and existing processes will scale. In the majority of our customers, security spending is increasing and more dollars are being allocated to their budgets.

Branden says: “Include the ability to scale and meet the needs of the organization’s growth for current and upcoming projects!”

This post originally appeared on BrandenWilliams.com.

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