How to prove the ROI of security

A guide for gaining buy-in for security initiatives

Data breaches were up 72% in 2023 alone, but security professionals are still struggling to get the buy-in and resources they need to move key initiatives forward. This guide includes advice from CISOs and security leaders for demonstrating ROI.Contents

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Step 6:

Key takeways

Thank you for reading

How to prove the ROI of cybersecurity

How to prove the ROI of cybersecurity ▸ Introduction

Introduction

In March 2024, hackers swiped 73 million customer records containing sensitive personal information and encrypted passcodes from a telecommunications company. In April, cybercriminals stole hundreds of millions of records from more than 165 customers of a cloud storage company. The next month, a leading technology company fell victim to a brute force attack that seized access to 49 million records, exposing sensitive customer data such as names, email addresses, and payment details.

These are just a few examples of the rising number of security incidents that occur each year. In 2023 alone, there was a 72% increase in data breaches, affecting a record-setting ~350 million people.¹ There's never been more at stake — but security professionals are still struggling to get the buy-in and resources they need to move key initiatives forward.

The majority of security leaders (88%) say their organization is falling short when it comes to addressing cybersecurity risk.² The good news? CEOs who actively champion cybersecurity are 14x more likely to lead their companies to cybersecurity success.³ This underscores the value of securing support from leadership when building robust security programs.⁴

So how can you prove to stakeholders the true return on investment (ROI) of security initiatives and justify future investments? We asked the experts, the CISOs, and security leaders who are wrestling with this question everyday. This guide includes their advice and lays out the steps to showing that security isn’t just a cost center, but a strategic driver of business growth and resilience.