Jim Guckin

When it comes to securing your technology infrastructure or applications, hitting compliance with a standard like ISO 27001, NIST CSF, or SOC 2 can feel like you’ve just unlocked an achievement in a video game. “Congratulations! You’ve achieved baseline security!” But here’s the plot twist: that’s just the tutorial level. The real game begins after you hit that milestone, and spoiler alert—it doesn’t come with cheat codes.

Think of a framework or standard as the recipe for baking a cake. Sure, it gives you the instructions and ingredients to get started, but no one eats raw batter and calls it dessert. To truly protect your organization, you’ve got to bake that cake, add layers, and frost it with custom protections that suit your unique needs. Compliance is the first step—security is the whole bakery.

For organizations still working toward a standard, it might feel like scaling the Wall of Westeros (minus the dragon assistance). The acronyms alone can make your head spin, and the mountain of requirements seems endless. But here’s the secret: no one expects you to sprint to the summit. Security isn’t a one-day montage set to uplifting music; it’s a slow climb. Focus on one step at a time. Prioritize the biggest risks, chip away at them, and celebrate your wins like you’ve just defeated a mid-level boss in Zelda.

If you’ve already achieved compliance, congrats! But before you break out the victory dance, remember that reaching the standard isn’t the final battle—it’s just the save point. Hackers don’t care that you passed your last audit, and they definitely don’t respect your shiny compliance badge. Cyber threats are like Jurassic Park velociraptors: they’re constantly testing the fences, looking for weaknesses. Staying secure means moving from “We’re compliant!” to “How do we make this fortress unbreachable?”

This is where leaders need to level up their mindset from compliance-driven security to risk-driven security. Frameworks give you the basics—like assembling IKEA furniture—but the real magic comes when you reinforce, customize, and iterate. Ask yourself, “What risks are unique to our organization?” and then build beyond the framework to address them. Regular penetration testing, advanced threat detection tools, and partnering with external experts can help keep your defenses sharper than Jon Snow’s sword.

But great security doesn’t live in firewalls and tools alone—it thrives in culture. And that’s where the real work begins. Security needs to be as ingrained in your company as coffee in an IT department. You can’t just tack it on as an annual training or one-off initiative. Leaders need to foster a shared sense of responsibility across every department. Make security a team sport where everyone, from interns to executives, understands that their actions matter.

This cultural shift takes time, and that’s okay. Phasing in security maturity over months or years is the smart way to go. Start small—embed security conversations into everyday business decisions, product planning, and team meetings. Gradually shift from being reactive (putting out fires) to proactive (preventing them from starting). Think of it as moving from The Office’s chaotic Scranton branch to the efficiency of a well-oiled Starship Enterprise.

And remember, this journey isn’t about reaching some mythical “secure” status where you hang a banner and call it a day. Security is like fitness—it’s ongoing. You don’t stop going to the gym because you crushed leg day once; you keep showing up, week after week, to stay strong. Cybersecurity is no different. It’s a mindset of constant vigilance, evolution, and improvement.

Great security leadership is about seeing the bigger picture. It’s recognizing that standards are essential, but they’re just the foundation. It’s building a culture where security is a daily habit, not an afterthought. And it’s leading your organization through the ever-changing threat landscape with the wisdom of Yoda, the grit of Ripley from Aliens, and the persistence of that one Mario Kart player who always ends up in first place.

So don’t stop at compliance. Keep going. Build smarter, build stronger, and make security part of who you are—not just what you do. Because in this game, the only way to win is to keep playing.