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The Security Gap Between IT and the Business (and How to Close It)

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You can have the best security tools in the world and still get breached.Not because the tech failed—but because the people running the business and the people running the tech weren’t aligned.

This is the security gap: the disconnect between IT teams and the rest of the organisation.


Why the Gap Exists

The causes are easy to spot:

  • Different priorities – IT thinks in risk, uptime, and configuration; the business thinks in revenue, customers, and deadlines.

  • Different language – IT speaks in acronyms and attack vectors; the business speaks in projects, budgets, and KPIs.

  • Different incentives – IT is measured on stability; the business is measured on growth.

Neither side is wrong. But if they don’t align, security suffers.


The Cost of Misalignment

When IT and the business aren’t on the same page:

  • Projects launch without security baked in

  • Risk decisions are made without technical input

  • Security tools are bypassed because they slow things down

  • Incidents get downplayed or reported too late

Most damaging? Security becomes “an IT problem” instead of a business capability.


Bridging the Gap

Closing the gap isn’t about getting everyone fluent in tech-speak.It’s about building shared understanding and shared responsibility.

Here’s how:

1. Translate Risk Into Business Impact

Don’t just say: “We need to disable legacy authentication.”Say: “Right now, anyone can bypass MFA and access email with just a password—if that happens, sensitive client data could be exposed and our compliance status could be at risk.”

Risk needs a business lens to get attention.

2. Engage Stakeholders Early

Bring business leaders into security discussions before projects start.Security baked in at design stage is faster, cheaper, and less disruptive than bolting it on later.

3. Agree on Priorities

Not everything can be done at once. Rank risks by:

  • Likelihood

  • Business impact

  • Ease of mitigation

Focus energy where it matters most.

4. Share Metrics That Matter

Uptime, patch compliance, and blocked threats are useful—but executives want to see:

  • Reduced downtime

  • Lower incident response time

  • Better client trust scores

  • Compliance audit passes

Frame your wins in business outcomes.

5. Make Security Everyone’s Job

Create simple, role-relevant guidance for all teams:

  • Sales: how to share client data securely

  • Finance: how to spot invoice scams

  • HR: how to protect employee records

Security awareness shouldn’t be generic—it should be tied to the work people actually do.


Examples of Alignment That Work

  • IT & Marketing – Agreeing on secure file-sharing tools so campaign launches aren’t delayed by blocked assets.

  • IT & HR – Automating account deprovisioning so ex-employee access is cut instantly.

  • IT & Operations – Setting device baselines so field staff can work securely without downtime.


Final Thought: Security Is a Team Sport

When IT and the business move together, security becomes:

  • Easier to implement

  • Harder to bypass

  • More relevant to daily work

The goal isn’t to make everyone a security expert—it’s to make security an understood, shared, and valued part of how the organisation operates.


Because the real risk isn’t a zero-day exploit—it’s assuming the other side “gets it” when they don’t.

 
 
 

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