Organizations must be able to monitor their progress toward critical goals and have a comprehensive knowledge of their security program to manage cybersecurity threats and maintain a strong defense posture.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are a tool that helps businesses monitor and assess their cybersecurity efficacy. In-depth discussions of cybersecurity KPIs, practical examples of cybersecurity metrics, and the many advantages of using a data-driven approach to cybersecurity management are all covered in this article.
KPI examples for cyber security
KPIs are quantifiable figures that show how successfully a company meets its main goals. The KPIs your company chooses will depend on the aspect of business performance you want to monitor and your industry.
KPIs, in particular, are useful in assessing how well security procedures and policies reduce security risks.
Examples of Cybersecurity Metrics
Here are some of the commonly used KPIs in cybersecurity:
Security incidents.
The overall number of security events, such as malware infections, unauthorized access attempts, data breaches, and system compromises, is tracked by this KPI.
Intrusion attempts.
How frequently have bad actors attempted to access your networks?
Mean time between failures (MTBF).
How long does it take for a system or product to fail before another one does? This measure aids in the comprehension of system dependability.
Mean time to detect (MTTD).
The average time to notice security events from the moment they occur is measured by MTTD. It shows how well an organization’s detection systems work and how quickly it can recognize and address risks.
Mean time to recovery (MTTR).
How long does it take your company to bounce back from a malfunctioning system?
Cost per incident.
This KPI calculates the typical expense the company pays for every security incident. It considers investigation, remediation, legal proceedings, regulatory fines, incident response activities, and other related expenses.
Cybersecurity awareness training.
How effectively are you keeping up with the training materials for security awareness? Are all employees, even the highest ranking executives, included in this?
Number of cybersecurity incidents reported.
Are users and staff informing your team about cybersecurity issues? If so, that’s encouraging since it means that the stakeholders and staff are aware of the problems you raised in your training.
Compliance with security policies and regulations.
This compliance indicator gauges the degree of adherence to security policies, standards, and legal obligations. Ensuring that security controls and procedures are implemented under established norms is beneficial.
Security ratings.
Security ratings assess your company’s security posture in a number of areas, including network security, patching cadence, endpoint security, IP reputation, web application security, hacker activity, leaked credentials, and social engineering. They offer a straightforward score that makes metrics easy to understand for colleagues who aren’t technical.
Phishing attack success.
This KPI calculates the proportion of workers who give sensitive information or click on phishing sites due to being tricked by scammers.
Vendor patching cadence.
This vendor risk management KPI focuses on the frequency (and promptness) with which third-party suppliers release and implement patches to fix security flaws in their goods or services. Since it has an immediate impact on the security of the companies that depend on these suppliers, it is a crucial component of third-party risk management.
Benefits of a Cybersecurity KPI Dashboard
Without monitoring certain cybersecurity KPIs, it is impossible to gauge your level of security.
according to the Risk in Review report, just 22% of chief executives think they have enough information about risk exposure to make wise decisions. That is a serious red flag as it suggests senior executives may not have access to high-quality risk exposure data.
A cybersecurity KPI dashboard is one remedy. These dashboards can provide a host of advantages, including:
- Centralized view of security metrics. Critical performance Indicators, or KPIs, and their relatives, critical risk indicators, may be centrally and visually represented with a dashboard. Stakeholders, such as CEOs, IT specialists, and security teams, may instantly and easily understand the organization’s entire security posture thanks to it.
- Real-time monitoring. Cybersecurity parameters, including the number of security events, threat detection rates, reaction times, vulnerability assessments, and compliance status, may be tracked in real time via the dashboard. This real-time visibility facilitates fast identification of any security threats and enables prompt remedy.
- Early-warning system. A well-designed KPI dashboard highlights any notable departures from industry norms or recognized security benchmarks, which rapidly raises red flags. This enables speedier incident response by assisting firms in promptly identifying possible security events, breaches, or policy violations.
- Data-driven decision-making. A cybersecurity dashboard provides useful information and insights to support data-driven decision making. It enables businesses to evaluate the return on security efforts, pinpoint areas in need of development, assign resources, and rank security projects according to real performance indicators.
- Alignment with business goals. Cybersecurity measurements are matched with more general corporate goals and objectives using a KPI dashboard. It helps demonstrate the return on cybersecurity expenditures by providing insights into how security efforts affect risk reduction, overall company performance, and compliance needs.
What Should Be Include in a Cybersecurity Dashboard?
A cybersecurity dashboard’s precise components will change based on the demands and goals of the company, but the following essential components should always be present:
- Threat intelligence. real-time information from reliable sources, including vendor alerts, threat feeds, and security advisories, on the most recent security events, vulnerabilities, and threats.
- Intrusion detection system (IDS). Information on the intrusion detection and prevention activities carried out by hosts and networks, including statistics on prevented attacks, alarms raised, and suspicious activity found.
- Security alerts. An overview of the most recent security warnings and notifications, emphasizing important events, failed hack attempts, compromised systems, and continuing assaults.
- Vulnerability management. metrics for locating, evaluating, and fixing vulnerabilities in the infrastructure of the company, such as the outcomes of vulnerability scans, the state of patch management, and the ranking of high-risk vulnerabilities.
- Firewall and network security. Network security posture, possible breaches, and policy infractions may be seen via tracking and reporting on firewall rules, network traffic, and security device logs.
- User activity monitoring. insights into user activity logs and behavior, including unsuccessful attempts at login, the use of privileged accounts, and unusual user behaviors that can point to compromised accounts or other insider threats.
How to Use a Cybersecurity KPI Dashboard
Here’s a detailed tutorial on making efficient use of a cybersecurity KPI dashboard.
Determine your goals
Determine the aims and goals your company has for cybersecurity. A few of these may include lowering the number of security issues, speeding up incident response, boosting patch management, or bolstering staff training. Having a clear understanding of your objectives can help you select the right KPIs to monitor.
Select relevant KPIs
Select KPIs that will help you achieve your objectives and offer insightful data on how well you’re performing in cybersecurity. The number of security incidents, the typical time to find and address events, the proportion of systems with the most recent patches installed, and the findings of vulnerability assessments are a few typical cybersecurity KPIs.
Set benchmarks and targets
Set goals and benchmarks for every KPI. Targets specify the intended degree of performance, whereas benchmarks offer a point of reference. These goals and benchmarks ought to be reasonable, in line with industry norms and your company’s tolerance for risk.
Gather and analyze data
Gather the information required for every KPI. This might entail connecting your dashboard with other cybersecurity systems and tools, such as antivirus programs, intrusion detection systems, vulnerability scanners, and tools for log analysis. To guarantee correctness, maintain and update the data regularly.
Track performance
Examine and keep an eye on the dashboard frequently to keep tabs on your security performance. Determine when there are departures from the goals and standards, and look into the reasons why. Utilize the dashboard’s insights to guide your decisions and, if necessary, take remedial action.
Share insights and reports
Share the cybersecurity KPI dashboard’s results and insights with the chief information security officer (CISO), senior management, board members, and pertinent stakeholders. Distribute regular reports that highlight critical areas of concern, provide ideas for improvement, and review the performance of IT security.