Introduction
Digital transformation1 — the strategic integration of digital technologies to enhance business operations, improve customer experience, and drive innovation — remains a key focus in board and executive discussions, even in today’s rapidly evolving climate. Digital transformation initiatives have become a major investment priority as organizations strive to leverage technology to reshape business models, drive efficiency and growth, and gain competitive advantage. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), investment in digital transformation initiatives will reach US$3.4 trillion in 2026.2
However, there is a paradox in the cyberlandscape: while new technologies promise solutions and advancements, they simultaneously introduce fresh challenges and vulnerabilities. As organizations continue to explore and adopt emerging technologies, there will be a corresponding rise in the number, sophistication, and magnitude of cyberattacks. Several statistics from recent publications highlight this issue:
- 67% of organizations will face at least one attack on their digital transformation initiative.3
- Cyberattacks are expected to increase by 30% year-on-year globally.4
- The average cost of a data breach is now estimated at approximately US$4.88 million, a 10% increase from figures reported in 2023.5
Within this context, cybersecurity governance is no longer optional—it is a critical requirement for the success of digital transformation efforts and the organization as a whole.
What is Cybersecurity Governance and Why is It Important?
Cybersecurity can be defined as the establishment of strategy, policies and frameworks, resources, and tools to guide an organization’s approach to securing its key digital assets (including its data). It is the foundation for ensuring that everyday efforts and resources are deployed in a manner that guarantees the achievement of cyberresilience.
Cybersecurity governance is a critical subset of cybersecurity and focuses on the structures, processes, and leadership roles that align cybersecurity efforts and organizational objectives. It transcends cybersecurity as a “technical” function and becomes a strategic enabler that supports long-term growth, resilience, and compliance through established decision-making authority, enforced policies, and frameworks for risk-based decision making. Without strong governance, security efforts can become fragmented, reactive, or misaligned with broader organizational goals.
Digital transformation initiatives are typically strategic and often imply significant changes in existing business models and key operations. Cybersecurity governance can be the thread that ties strategic objectives for digital transformation, business context, and the operational activities carried out by the security teams to ensure that investments are secure, areas of risk are proactively identified and properly mitigated, and overall digital resilience is achieved.
However, integrating cybersecurity governance within digital transformation initiatives can be tricky – and often, cases exist where cybersecurity is disconnected from the core objectives of transformation initiatives. This can undermine the potential for sustainable success and create unnecessary risk exposure through security vulnerabilities and regulatory noncompliance.
The good news is that there are ways to pragmatically address this risk and achieve a balance between driving technological innovation and addressing cyber-related risk.
Cybersecurity governance is no longer optional—it is a critical requirement for the success of digital transformation efforts and the organization as a whole.Four Effective Strategies for Strong Cybersecurity governance
There are 4 practical strategies for strong cybersecurity governance in digital transformation: inclusion and accountability at the “top”, embedding cybersecurity within the delivery approach, adopting risk-based thinking, and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness.
Leadership, Inclusion, and Accountability
The importance of having clear responsibilities for driving cybersecurity cannot be overstated. It is also crucial to have representation at the strategic level within the organization and its initiatives. This can be achieved in 2 ways:
- Ensure cybersecurity leadership representation on the steering committee for digital transformation initiatives. This creates transparency and ensures that cybersecurity conversations and considerations are visible at the highest level of governance.
- Adopt a centralized cross-functional forum (e.g., a cybersecurity steering committee) where initiatives and cybersecurity implications can be discussed. A cybersecurity steering committee will most likely provide an integrated assessment of cybersecurity risk, drive resource optimization, and proffer solutions that are holistic and tailored to the specific needs of the organization.
Embed Cybersecurity Within the Internal Delivery Framework
Organizations should not be afraid to go back to basics. This means revisiting the underlying delivery framework to assess the transformation initiatives adopted. The framework must explicitly incorporate cybersecurity in each phase of the initiative delivery process, regardless of the methodology deployed.
This implies including cybersecurity in each phase of the delivery transition, including cybersecurity considerations at the initiation phase, a comprehensive cybersecurity risk assessment at the planning phase (which should be revisited at various points during the program/project), security in user experience (UX) design, and security checkpoints during development— which could include code review, vulnerability scans. Organizations should also consider embracing continuous security integration (CI/CD) techniques within development where possible.
Adopt a Proactive Risk Based Approach
Risk assessments in transformation projects or programs should go beyond a box-ticking exercise or addressing a best practice recommendation. It should be a tool that influences key players to adopt a risk-based mindset throughout the project.
A risk assessment should be carried out during the initiation and planning stages and conducted with key stakeholders. Results should then be communicated to the appropriate parties. It is worth mentioning that this exercise should not be a one-time event, as the risk landscape is constantly changing, transformation initiatives progress, and threat actors evolve. Risk assessments should be a continuous process of intelligence discovery, analysis, and threat monitoring.
Further, organizations should be careful to avoid the trap of “analysis paralysis”, a phenomena where overthinking leads to critical inaction. To prevent this, it is best to focus energies on securing high-risk areas including sensitive data, critical systems, and systems facing key external stakeholders (customers, regulators, etc.).
Foster a Culture of Security Awareness
To foster a culture of awareness, Organizations must:
- Train all employees on key cybersecurity principles and the importance of cybersecurity measures. This can include safe data handling principles, incident reporting, safeguarding access credentials, as well as recognizing and reporting social engineering attacks.
- Enhance security-by-design thinking by training (and re-training) delivery teams on key cybersecurity principles.
- Integrate cybersecurity awareness into organizational change management by embedding specific cybersecurity training and awareness campaigns in communication plans.
As with most concepts in cybersecurity, communication must be continuous and strategically focused on emphasizing what is at stake and how to protect sensitive data and business integrity. This approach ensures a well-equipped workforce capable of recognizing and responding effectively to emerging threats.
Conclusion
The success of transformation initiatives is closely linked with the effectiveness of cybersecurity practices considered and embedded within each initiative and the organization at large. By embedding cybersecurity in digital transformation through strategic leadership, adopting a risk-based approach, embedding cybersecurity across the entirety of the delivery framework, and investing in user education and awareness, organizations can derive the full potential of their investment in transformation while strengthening their defenses against an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Endnotes
1 Yermak, V.; “Leveraging Digital Tools and Technologies for Business Development,” Technorely, April 2, 2024
2 Businesswire, “IDC Spending Guide Sees Worldwide Digital Transformation Investments Reaching $3.4 Trillion in 2026,” 26 October 2022
3 Colback, L.; “Technology and Cyber Crime: How to Keep Out the Bad,” Financial Times, 3 July 2024
4 Check Point, “Check Point Research Reports Highest Increase of Global Cyber Attacks Seen in Last Two years – a 30% Increase in Q2 2024 Global Cyber Attacks,” 16 July 2024
5 IBM, Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024
Oma Martins-Okonkwo, CISA, CRISC
Is a technology governance, risk, and compliance expert with extensive experience in cybersecurity, IT governance, and regulatory compliance. As a leader in the field, Martins-Okonkwo has held leadership positions on enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives, ensuring alignment with industry standards and best practices. She is a recognized speaker on cybersecurity and governance topics and is also actively involved in mentoring and advocacy efforts to promote cybersecurity awareness and improve gender diversity in GRC.