8 OKR examples for Information Security Team
What are Information Security Team OKRs?
The OKR acronym stands for Objectives and Key Results. It's a goal-setting framework that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s, and it became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s. OKRs helps teams has a shared language to set ambitious goals and track progress towards them.
Formulating strong OKRs can be a complex endeavor, particularly for first-timers. Prioritizing outcomes over projects is crucial when developing your plans.
We've tailored a list of OKRs examples for Information Security Team to help you. You can look at any of the templates below to get some inspiration for your own goals.
If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read more about the OKR meaning online.
Best practices for managing your Information Security Team OKRs
Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.
Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇
Tip #1: Limit the number of key results
Focus can only be achieve by limiting the number of competing priorities. It is crucial that you take the time to identify where you need to move the needle, and avoid adding business-as-usual activities to your OKRs.
We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.
Tability's audit dashboard will highlight opportunities to improve OKRsTip #2: Commit to the weekly check-ins
Having good goals is only half the effort. You'll get significant more value from your OKRs if you commit to a weekly check-in process.
Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.
Tability's check-ins will save you hours and increase transparencyTip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row
Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples below). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.
As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.
Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.
Building your own Information Security Team OKRs with AI
While we have some examples below, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. There are 2 options available to you.
- Use our free OKRs generator
- Use Tability, a complete platform to set and track OKRs and initiatives
- including a GPT-4 powered goal generator
Best way to track your Information Security Team OKRs
OKRs without regular progress updates are just KPIs. You'll need to update progress on your OKRs every week to get the full benefits from the framework. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:
- It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
- It will highlight poorly set OKRs
- It will surface execution risks
- It improves transparency and accountability
Spreadsheets are enough to get started. Then, once you need to scale you can use a proper OKR platform to make things easier.
Tability's Strategy Map makes it easy to see all your org's OKRsIf you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.
Information Security Team OKRs templates
We've covered most of the things that you need to know about setting good OKRs and tracking them effectively. It's now time to give you a series of templates that you can use for inspiration!
You'll find below a list of Objectives and Key Results templates for Information Security Team. We also included strategic projects for each template to make it easier to understand the difference between key results and projects.
Hope you'll find this helpful!
OKRs to achieve ISO 27001 certification with an action plan
Achieve ISO 27001 certification with an action plan
Develop and implement necessary policies and procedures to align with ISO 27001 standards
Develop new policies and procedures to meet ISO 27001 standards- Communicate and train employees on the new policies and procedures
- Conduct a gap analysis to identify policy and procedure gaps
- Regularly review and update policies and procedures to ensure compliance with ISO 27001
- Conduct a comprehensive gap analysis to identify all compliance requirements
- Successfully pass the external ISO 27001 certification audit conducted by a certified auditor
- Update and document all necessary processes and procedures in accordance with ISO 27001
- Conduct a comprehensive review of the ISO 27001 standard requirements and guidelines
- Implement a risk management framework aligned with the ISO 27001 requirements
- Train employees on ISO 27001 procedures and their roles in maintaining compliance
- Train all employees on information security awareness and best practices
OKRs to attain ISO 27001 certification
- Achieve ISO 27001 certification
- Implement necessary controls and measures to address identified risks and improve information security
- Regularly monitor and test the effectiveness of implemented controls and measures
- Establish strong access controls and authentication mechanisms to protect sensitive information
- Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities and potential threats
- Develop and implement security policies and procedures based on the identified risks
- Train all employees on information security policies and procedures to ensure compliance
- Develop a comprehensive training program on information security policies and procedures
- Conduct mandatory training sessions for all employees on information security policies and procedures
- Provide all employees with updated written materials outlining information security policies and procedures
- Regularly assess and evaluate employees' understanding of information security policies and procedures
- Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify gaps in information security practices
- Develop action plans to address and close the identified gaps in information security practices
- Identify potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the existing information security infrastructure
- Review current information security practices and policies
- Assess the potential impact of identified risks on the organization's information and data
- Successfully pass the ISO 27001 certification audit conducted by an accredited external body
- Address any identified gaps or weaknesses in the information security controls
- Prepare and organize all required documentation and evidence for the audit process
- Implement necessary improvements to align with ISO 27001 requirements and best practices
- Conduct a thorough internal review of all information security controls and processes
OKRs to obtain ISO 27001 certification
- Achieve ISO 27001 certification
- Address all identified non-conformities and implement corrective actions promptly
- Monitor the progress of implemented corrective actions and report any deviations promptly
- Develop a corrective action plan outlining steps to resolve each non-conformity
- Review and document all identified non-conformities from the assessment
- Assign responsible individuals to execute the corrective actions within specified timelines
- Pass the external audit with no major findings and obtain ISO 27001 certification
- Conduct regular internal audits to ensure ongoing compliance with ISO 27001 requirements
- Work closely with external auditors to address any findings and promptly resolve them
- Implement necessary security controls and procedures to address identified gaps
- Review existing security controls and identify gaps or areas for improvement
- Conduct a successful internal audit to ensure compliance with ISO 27001 requirements
- Develop and implement corrective actions for identified non-compliance issues
- Conduct interviews and surveys to gather feedback from employees on compliance practices
- Assess and document the effectiveness of existing security controls
- Review and update company policies to align with ISO 27001 requirements
- Implement necessary security controls to comply with ISO 27001 standards
OKRs to implement and maintain SOCII compliance measures
- Ensure ongoing SOCII compliance
- Conduct regular testing and auditing to assess SOCII compliance status
- Train and educate all relevant teams on SOCII compliance regulations and best practices
- Monitor and promptly address any SOCII compliance gaps or violations identified
- Establish a dedicated team to promptly address and resolve any identified SOCII compliance issues
- Implement corrective measures to address identified SOCII compliance gaps promptly
- Conduct regular audits to identify any SOCII compliance gaps or violations
- Maintain a vigilant monitoring system to detect any new SOCII compliance violations
- Implement and maintain necessary controls and processes to meet SOCII requirements
- Conduct initial assessment of current controls and processes to identify gaps
- Develop and document new controls and processes to fulfill SOCII requirements
- Regularly monitor and evaluate controls and processes to ensure ongoing compliance
- Train and educate employees on the importance and execution of SOCII controls
OKRs to improve the effectiveness and security of Identity Access Management (IAM) initiatives
- Improve the effectiveness and security of Identity Access Management (IAM) initiatives
- Reduce IAM-related security incidents by 20%
- Implement multi-factor authentication for IAM systems
- Update and enforce strict password policies
- Conduct regular IAM security training sessions
- Implement two-factor authentication for all employee IAM accounts
- Purchase and install selected two-factor authentication software
- Train employees on how to use the new authentication process
- Research suitable two-factor authentication software for IAM accounts
- Increase IAM user compliance rate by 30%
- Implement stricter IAM user permission policies
- Provide regular IAM user compliance training
- Regularly audit and correct non-compliant IAM users
OKRs to enhance MFA capabilities and user access review process
- Enhance MFA capabilities and user access review process
- Conduct user access reviews for 100% of active accounts
- Resolve any inappropriate access findings
- Identify all active accounts in the system
- Review access privileges for each account
- Implement an advanced MFA system with at least 95% successful user authentication rate
- Monitor and improve authentication success rate post-implementation
- Identify a reliable advanced MFA system to install
- Plan and execute staff training on the MFA system
- Train all employees on new MFA capabilities and access review processes to boost compliance by 90%
- Plan a comprehensive training on new MFA capabilities for all employees
- Monitor and track compliance rates, aiming to achieve a 90% increase
- Conduct the training, focusing on access review processes
OKRs to enhance cybersecurity maturity in the organization
- Enhance cybersecurity maturity in the organization
- Implement a cybersecurity awareness training program for 85% of the staff
- Schedule training sessions with 85% of staff
- Track and report staff training completion
- Identify suitable cybersecurity training program for staff
- Reduce the number of security incidents by 30%
- Implement regular, mandatory cybersecurity training sessions
- Update all systems and applications routinely
- Enable stringent password protocols
- Achieve ISO 27001 cybersecurity certification
- Prepare and pass the ISO 27001 audit
- Implement necessary controls and security measures
- Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of your information security system
OKRs to enhance data privacy and cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive information
- Enhance data privacy and cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive information
- Implement a comprehensive data encryption system across all relevant platforms
- Assess current data encryption measures and identify gaps for improvement
- Develop and implement a standardized data encryption protocol for all platforms
- Conduct regular audits to ensure consistent adherence to the data encryption system
- Train employees on proper data encryption practices and its importance in data security
- Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and address identified risks within set timeframes
- Quickly prioritize and address identified risks based on severity levels
- Schedule regular vulnerability assessments according to established timelines
- Establish set timeframes for risk mitigation and ensure timely execution
- Develop a clear process for tracking and documenting vulnerability assessment findings
- Increase employee awareness and participation in cybersecurity training programs by 25%
- Recognize and reward employees who actively participate in cybersecurity training
- Create engaging and interactive modules for cybersecurity training programs
- Organize lunch and learn sessions to promote employee awareness about cybersecurity threats
- Send regular email reminders about upcoming cybersecurity training sessions
- Achieve a 10% improvement in overall incident response time, ensuring timely mitigation of potential breaches
- Streamline incident response processes and eliminate any unnecessary steps for faster response times
- Regularly evaluate and improve incident response plans to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
- Provide comprehensive training to all personnel involved in incident response procedures
- Implement automation tools to expedite the identification and containment of potential breaches
More Information Security Team OKR templates
We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.
- OKRs to create an engaging landing page featuring 3 goals tiles with OKR
- OKRs to effectively manage expenditure within budget
- OKRs to enhance profitable performance of the finance team
- OKRs to enhance productivity of IT Service Desk Analysts and maintain SLAs
- OKRs to establish a successful YouTube channel
- OKRs to file patent for medical device and enhance prototype functionality
OKRs resources
Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the Objectives and Key Results framework.
- To learn: Complete 2024 OKR cheat sheet
- Blog posts: ODT Blog
- Success metrics: KPIs examples