Executive Summary

Cybersecurity teams today are under constant pressure to demonstrate control effectiveness, satisfy regulators, and reduce risk. All while dealing with fragmented tools and inconsistent reporting. Most organizations cannot reliably answer a simple question: Are our cybersecurity controls working as intended across the business?

However, it’s not just about these areas of focus, but the levels at which data oversight is given.

To help organizations build this maturity, we propose a four-level model of operational excellence for cybersecurity teams:

Level 1: External Assurance

Delivering credible evidence to regulators, auditors, and customers.

Level 2: Executive Oversight

Enabling CISOs and risk committees to direct strategy with accurate scorecards.

Level 3: Business Accountability

Connecting cybersecurity controls to business units, products, and services with clear ownership.

Level 4: Control Execution

Empowering domain experts and tool owners to operate effectively with enriched, cross-tool context.

By progressing through these four levels, organizations can move from fragmented visibility to measurable, business-aligned outcomes. Operational excellence in cybersecurity is not just a technical achievement; it is a management discipline that creates transparency, accountability, and ultimately, reduces risk.