Why Security Measures Often Fail

3 Ways to Improve Your Security

TL;DR:

👉🏼 Designate Security Champion per team and track progress with dashboards.

👉🏼 Improve adoption of security tools by supporting risk solution owners.

👉🏼 Keep inventory of best risk solutions and improve over time.

Common Security Mistakes Your Org Might be Making

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I'm just going to say it:

Your service teams probably don’t care very much.

Because implementing security is not usually what people get paid to do (or want to do), service teams often get used to neglecting proper security measures, causing complacency and increasing security risks over time.

When complacency sets in, it can be tough to change culture and people don’t believe things will change.

Auditors read policies, and that’s about it.

When building a security strategy, many companies don’t even know where to start. As a result, they rely on automated tools to create policies. But, these generated policies often go unused outside of the audit.

A more effective security strategy should start with one goal: adoption. Let’s explore a few practical ways to increase policy adoption.

Ways to Increase Policy Adoption at Your CSP

Designate Security Champions

Assign passionate individuals as "Security Champions" in each team to enhance security posture & ensure adoption of measures.

Dashboards showing each team's adoption of risk solutions are effective and can be simple to set up. Security Champions must have authority to hold teams accountable.

The Role of Risk Solution Owners

The risk solution owners also play a crucial role in improving the adoption of security tools and processes.

Give risk solution owners the task of helping the organization nail a SUBSET of policies. They should collaborate OFTEN with the security champions to continually improve the adoption mechanisms of these solutions.

Making security measures easier to implement and use can go a long way in encouraging their adoption by the entire company.

Keep an Inventory

Another important aspect to consider is keeping an inventory of all the risk solutions in place within the organization.

This helps to minimize the number of solutions in use and to focus on improving the best ones over time.

By keeping things simple and focusing on what works, the company can greatly improve its security posture and reduce the likelihood of a security breach.

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Hero Up - Build the Excellent Security Your Customers Deserve

Improving the adoption of security measures within an organization is crucial for the overall security posture of the company.

By designating security champions, supporting risk solution owners, and keeping an inventory of risk solutions, organizations can create a culture of security and reduce the risk of security breaches.

When security is a priority for everyone in the company, you enable more trust with your customers and partners, and the individuals who lead this effort become heroes.

Helpful Cyber Risk Management Reading:

For more insights into decision-making in cybersecurity, Walter Haydock's 'Who Should Make Cyber Risk Management Decisions?' is a great read.

It highlights the need for CEO-led decision-making in cyber risk, complementing our emphasis on practical security measure implementation and advocating a top-down approach for effective organizational policy execution.

Don’t be a Statistic: Up Your Security Game

If you’re interested in learning more about implementing a best-in-class security program, feel free to follow me on LinkedIn.

We specialize in starting with great security strategy here at Paramify and would be happy to help improve your security plan.

Sign up for a free demo to see it for yourself.

You'll learn:

The benefits of a security-first approach

How to generate more accurate compliance documentation at a fraction of the cost

How fast and easy it is to get an OSCAL-based digital package

You can also check out our pricing or request a video demo below to see Paramify in action:

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Learn More

→ Get Assessed Fast - How to Create a Shockingly Accurate SSP

→ How Risk Solutions Work

→ What Does Paramify Do?

Kenny Scott

Kenny is an accomplished leader with a two decade tenure in Information Security and IT Audit. He's widely acknowledged in the industry and has a profound dedication to it. In addition to his technical expertise, Kenny's portfolio includes substantial experience in business strategy, investment, and programming. On the personal side, Kenny is a devoted husband to Angie Scott and a proud father of five. A music enthusiast, he relishes playing the guitar and enjoys surfing when a beach is within reach.

Feb 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Can compliance advisors or consultants work in Paramify with us, and does it help with managed-service models?

Absolutely. Paramify is used by many advisory partners, RPOs, and MSPs to guide, generate, and manage documentation, perform gap assessments, facilitate policy/procedure drafting, and oversee remediation activities. Advisors can fill out templates, manage controls, and generate client-ready documents.

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We have privacy or compliance concerns, can we restrict what external reviewers can access?

Yes, you can assign role-based access controls in Paramify. Advisors or auditors can be given access only to certain programs, assessment and their related evidence.

Sensitive information can be withheld or redacted as needed, and only authorized reviewers see specific items.

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Can auditors or advisory partners get direct access to our Paramify environment, or do we have to export everything for them?

Yes, Paramify allows external assessors/auditors and advisors to be invited as users, with controlled permission levels. They can review specific evidence, policies, SSPs, POA&Ms, or assessment modules without accessing broader company data.

Documentation — such as Appendix A, SSPs, procedures, and POAMs — can also be exported in multiple standard formats (Word, Excel, OSCAL, EMASS, PDF) as needed.

Can I get matched with an Advisor based on my specific needs?

Yes. You can use the Get Matched feature on our website. We will review your specific compliance goals and connect you with the partner best suited for your industry and timeline.

How do Advisors use Paramify during a FedRAMP engagement?

Advisors use Paramify to conduct Gap Assessments, map controls, Automate SSPs, and manage POA&Ms.

Instead of spending months writing Word documents, the Advisor inputs the system architecture and control implementations into Paramify, which then generates the required NIST-formatted documentation.

Does Paramify compete with its Advisors?

No. Paramify is a software company. We do not offer independent audit or long-term consulting services. Our goal is to empower Advisors with better tools so they can serve more clients effectively.

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What are the different partner tiers?

We feature Premier Partners prominently on our site. These are firms that have demonstrated a high level of proficiency with the Paramify platform and have successfully helped many clients through the authorization process using our tools.

How do I become an official Paramify Advisor Partner?

We look for firms with a proven track record in federal compliance. If you are interested in joining our network and leveraging our automation products, you can reach out via our contact page or schedule a demo to see how our tools fit into your workflow.

What is the benefit of using an Advisor who uses Paramify vs. one who doesn't?

Advisors using Paramify can accelerate your implementation and typically deliver documentation in a fraction of the time it takes without Paramify. This means:

Faster Implementation: An accelerated implementation roadmap keeps timelines predictable.
Lower Costs: Reduced manual consultant hours.
Higher Accuracy: Automation eliminates the "copy-paste" errors common in traditional SSPs.‍
Easier Maintenance: Your Advisor can help you manage POA&Ms and continuous monitoring within the platform.

Does working with an Advisor on this list guarantee FedRAMP or CMMC authorization?

No firm can "guarantee" authorization, as the final decision rests with the government authorizing body (e.g., the FedRAMP PMO or the DoD).

However, working with a Paramify Advisor significantly reduces the risk of documentation errors and ensures your package is built on a technically sound, automated foundation.

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How do I choose the right Advisor for my organization?

Our Advisor page allows you to filter partners by their specific expertise, such as FedRAMP, CMMC, FISMA, or GovRAMP.

Why does Paramify partner with Advisors?

Paramify is an “Iron Man suit” for GRC experts. We provide automation technology to generate and manage compliance documentation (like SSPs snd POA&Ms) while Advisors provide the expert human oversight and implementation expertise.

Together, we offer a "best-of-both-worlds" solution: expert consulting powered by industry-leading automation and risk management planning.

What is the Paramify Advisor Partner Network?

The Paramify Advisor Partner Network is a curated group of cybersecurity and compliance firms — including CMMC Registered Practitioner Organizations (RPOs) and accredited 3PAOs — that use Paramify’s platform to deliver faster, more accurate compliance outcomes for their clients.

I already have an advisor or very capable GRC team. Why do I need Paramify?

Use Paramify's Risk Solution platform to automate ATO packages, improving cost efficiency, speed, and accuracy. This frees your team to focus on more valuable efforts like security posture enhancement and compliance improvements.