The winds of change are constantly shifting. To list a few, we’re emerging from a significant presidential election, facing numerous armed conflicts globally and experiencing significant geopolitical shifts. Understandably, this leaves business leaders with valid questions about what the landscape will look like in the coming years. However, now is not the time to tighten the reins on strategic spending.
While many executives have their eye on trends like artificial intelligence, which is already reshaping business operations, the role of cybersecurity cannot be overlooked. A successful cyberattack can cause irreparable damage to a company’s operations, reputation and long-term growth potential.
Here are five ways chief financial officers can build a budget that rides the wave of innovation to increase productivity without sacrificing security.
How to prioritize cybersecurity in the 2025 budget
Here are methods you can use to prioritize cybersecurity:
1. Understand the risks of underfunding cybersecurity
It may be tempting to cut costs relating to cybersecurity but moves like these can have consequences that ripple far beyond the suspected cost savings. These include:
- Operational disruption: From inaccessible systems and network outages to widespread operational downtime from lost or corrupted data, breaches can lead to lost revenue, productivity, and customer trust.
- Legal repercussions: Some organizations have faced substantial financial judgments associated with HIPAA or GDPR actions following data breaches, even after attempting to resolve the issue with attackers through ransom payments.
- Long-term competitiveness issues: Theft of intellectual property and damaged reputations can have lasting impacts on companies’ ability to innovate and compete in their markets.
2. Align cybersecurity priorities with your business
Many cybersecurity teams approach enterprise security from a tool-first perspective, implementing the latest tools with the catchiest dashboards. However, this approach can create glaring vulnerabilities that leave business operations at risk.
Instead, consider the negative outcomes that could impact your business by brainstorming different attack scenarios. From there, identify what needs to be protected to prevent those outcomes.
For instance, a healthcare company might prioritize protecting patient databases, while a travel booking platform would focus on reservation and ticketing systems. Start discussions with your cybersecurity team and system owners about focused initiatives to protect these assets, scaling outward from the most critical ones.
This targeted approach allows you to allocate resources effectively and address the most pressing risks first.
3. Plan to scale
In a time when budgets are closely watched, it’s essential to have the ability to justify every dollar spent and cybersecurity tools often come with hefty price tags.
Many organizations struggle to demonstrate the ROI of their cybersecurity programs, leading to ever-tighter budget constraints and resource allocation challenges. To help overcome these hurdles, consider adopting a phased approach to cybersecurity implementation:
- Start small. Protect one of the high-priority assets you’ve identified but do it exceptionally well. As the effectiveness of your chosen solution becomes apparent, gradually expand to protect other critical systems on your list.
- Look for partners that can deliver security tools that align with your priorities and can grow alongside your organization. This allows your team to scale your cybersecurity efforts incrementally, demonstrating value and ROI at each stage.
- Consider solutions that overlay (augment rather than replace) your existing infrastructure and technology stack. This method minimizes disruption to business operations and allows for a more gradual, controlled rollout of enhanced security measures.
4. Invest in innovation
For many infrastructure and cybersecurity teams, adopting an operations-first and asset-focused approach represents a significant shift in thinking. They’re accustomed to large-scale, enterprise-wide solutions that can be operational across the entire organization instead of application-specific tools.
To bridge this gap, consider allocating funds for teams focused on innovation and researching emerging technologies like Zero Trust.
Zero Trust architecture offers a promising alternative to traditional perimeter-based security models. By implementing a principle of least privilege and continuous verification using packet-level filtering, organizations can enhance their overall security posture without the need for extensive network redesign.
5. Implement metrics and track ROI
Finally, work to avoid implementing solutions and continuing processes based solely on inertia. (“We’ve always done it this way.”) Instead, focus on solutions that demonstrate clear, quantifiable benefits to your organization. This approach ensures that your cybersecurity investments remain aligned with your business goals and contribute directly to your bottom line.
To enable this, consider establishing key performance indicators that measure the effectiveness of your cybersecurity initiatives. Examples might include:
- The number of attacks prevented
- The time-to-detection and response for security incidents
- The cost savings resulting from improved operational efficiency
- The revenue impact of avoiding downtime and distraction from cyber incidents
By tracking these metrics, you can make data-driven decisions about where to allocate resources and optimize your cybersecurity strategy.
Looking Ahead
Prioritizing cybersecurity in your 2025 budget requires a thoughtful, strategic approach. By prioritizing the risks of underfunding, aligning priorities with your business needs, planning for scalable growth, investing in innovation and focusing on measurable ROI, security teams can build robust, resilient and sustainable programs that protect your organization’s valuable digital assets and support your long-term goals.
As we enter a time known for finalizing budgets, remember that cybersecurity should be viewed as an investment in your organization’s future, not a necessary evil. By taking a proactive, strategic approach to cybersecurity, you can mitigate risks, enhance your competitive edge and set your organization up for long-term success in an “always-on” and increasingly interconnected world
