Digital & Security Strategy Development
Building Security-First Foundations for Rapid Growth
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Rapid Growth Outpacing Security Infrastructure
This emerging financial institution was experiencing exponential growth—new customers, expanded services, and aggressive market expansion. However, their security and digital infrastructure had been designed for a much smaller operation.
Leadership recognized the dangerous gap between their ambitious growth trajectory and their security posture. Regulatory examinations were becoming more intense, and the institution lacked the frameworks to demonstrate compliance with NIST cybersecurity standards and FFIEC requirements.
Without immediate intervention, the organization risked regulatory action that could halt their expansion plans. They needed a comprehensive strategy that would satisfy examiners while enabling rather than constraining their growth objectives.
Engagement Focus Areas
Framework-Aligned Strategy for Scalable Security
I conducted an exhaustive assessment against both NIST Cybersecurity Framework and FFIEC IT Examination Handbook requirements. This dual-lens approach identified gaps while establishing a unified remediation path.
The gap analysis revealed commonplace deficiencies in access management, incident response, and third-party risk management. I developed a prioritized implementation roadmap that addressed immediate regulatory concerns while building toward a mature security program.
My structure plan included board and policy recommendations, a revamped security program, and thorough governance and controls implementation that exceeds FFIEC requirements putting the institution on more competitive footing against other innovative banks. I established metrics and KRIs that ensured long-term compliance with regulatory best practices.
Perhaps most importantly, I repositioned security from a cost center to a competitive advantage, helping leadership articulate their security investment as a market differentiator in an industry where trust is paramount.
Key Outcomes
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