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tability.ioWhat are Information Security OKRs?
The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.
Formulating strong OKRs can be a complex endeavor, particularly for first-timers. Prioritizing outcomes over projects is crucial when developing your plans.
We've tailored a list of OKRs examples for Information Security to help you. You can look at any of the templates below to get some inspiration for your own goals.
If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read our OKR guide online.
Information Security OKRs examples
You'll find below a list of Objectives and Key Results templates for Information Security. We also included strategic projects for each template to make it easier to understand the difference between key results and projects.
Hope you'll find this helpful!
OKRs to ensure information security solution meets large customer requirements
ObjectiveEnsure information security solution meets large customer requirements
KRAdjust our existing information security solution to match found requirements 100%
Develop and implement changes to fill identified gaps- Identify gaps in the current information security solution
- Test and fine-tune the updated security solution
- KRIdentify and understand the requirements of 10 major customers by consulting directly
- Schedule one-on-one meetings with each of the 10 major customers
- Review and analyze all customer feedback to understand requirements
- Prepare specific, clear questions for customer consultation
- KRSuccessfully pass 10 customer audits confirming solution's compliance with their requirements
- Review and understand all customer's requirements for each solution
- Conduct internal audits to ensure compliance with requirements
- Collect and organize evidence of compliance for audits
OKRs to achieve ISO 27001 certification with an action plan
- ObjectiveAchieve ISO 27001 certification with an action plan
- KRDevelop and implement necessary policies and procedures to align with ISO 27001 standards
- Develop new policies and procedures to meet ISO 27001 standards
- Communicate and train employees on the new policies and procedures
- Conduct a gap analysis to identify policy and procedure gaps
- Regularly review and update policies and procedures to ensure compliance with ISO 27001
- KRConduct a comprehensive gap analysis to identify all compliance requirements
- KRSuccessfully pass the external ISO 27001 certification audit conducted by a certified auditor
- Update and document all necessary processes and procedures in accordance with ISO 27001
- Conduct a comprehensive review of the ISO 27001 standard requirements and guidelines
- Implement a risk management framework aligned with the ISO 27001 requirements
- Train employees on ISO 27001 procedures and their roles in maintaining compliance
- KRTrain all employees on information security awareness and best practices
OKRs to attain ISO 27001 certification
- ObjectiveAchieve ISO 27001 certification
- KRImplement necessary controls and measures to address identified risks and improve information security
- Regularly monitor and test the effectiveness of implemented controls and measures
- Establish strong access controls and authentication mechanisms to protect sensitive information
- Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities and potential threats
- Develop and implement security policies and procedures based on the identified risks
- KRTrain all employees on information security policies and procedures to ensure compliance
- Develop a comprehensive training program on information security policies and procedures
- Conduct mandatory training sessions for all employees on information security policies and procedures
- Provide all employees with updated written materials outlining information security policies and procedures
- Regularly assess and evaluate employees' understanding of information security policies and procedures
- KRConduct a comprehensive risk assessment to identify gaps in information security practices
- Develop action plans to address and close the identified gaps in information security practices
- Identify potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the existing information security infrastructure
- Review current information security practices and policies
- Assess the potential impact of identified risks on the organization's information and data
- KRSuccessfully pass the ISO 27001 certification audit conducted by an accredited external body
- Address any identified gaps or weaknesses in the information security controls
- Prepare and organize all required documentation and evidence for the audit process
- Implement necessary improvements to align with ISO 27001 requirements and best practices
- Conduct a thorough internal review of all information security controls and processes
OKRs to obtain ISO 27001 certification
- ObjectiveAchieve ISO 27001 certification
- KRAddress all identified non-conformities and implement corrective actions promptly
- Monitor the progress of implemented corrective actions and report any deviations promptly
- Develop a corrective action plan outlining steps to resolve each non-conformity
- Review and document all identified non-conformities from the assessment
- Assign responsible individuals to execute the corrective actions within specified timelines
- KRPass the external audit with no major findings and obtain ISO 27001 certification
- Conduct regular internal audits to ensure ongoing compliance with ISO 27001 requirements
- Work closely with external auditors to address any findings and promptly resolve them
- Implement necessary security controls and procedures to address identified gaps
- Review existing security controls and identify gaps or areas for improvement
- KRConduct a successful internal audit to ensure compliance with ISO 27001 requirements
- Develop and implement corrective actions for identified non-compliance issues
- Conduct interviews and surveys to gather feedback from employees on compliance practices
- Assess and document the effectiveness of existing security controls
- Review and update company policies to align with ISO 27001 requirements
- KRImplement necessary security controls to comply with ISO 27001 standards
OKRs to enhance the organization's information technology efficiency and security
- ObjectiveEnhance the organization's information technology efficiency and security
- KRIncrease IT systems uptime to 99.9% across all operations
- Introduce proactive system performance monitoring
- Regularly update and patch all software systems
- Implement robust and diverse backup servers for essential systems
- KRImplement multi-factor authentication for 90% of users to enhance security
- Guide users through the multi-factor adoption process
- Choose a suitable multi-factor authentication system
- Identify and classify users based on access levels and security requirements
- KRDecrease system-related user complaints by 30% through proactive IT support improvements
- Enhance technical troubleshooting protocols
- Implement continuous monitoring for system performance
- Develop comprehensive IT support training programs
OKRs to strengthen SOC effectiveness to increase security operations productivity
- ObjectiveStrengthen SOC effectiveness to increase security operations productivity
- KRReduce false positive alarms from SOC by 30%
- Improve analyst training for accurate threat prediction
- Regularly update and fine-tune security system settings
- Implement advanced anomaly detection algorithms
- KRIncrease identification of real threats by 20%
- Implement advanced threat detection systems
- Conduct regular security awareness training
- Strengthen information sharing with allies
- KRImprove SOC response time to threats by 15%
- Conduct regular response time drills for SOC team
- Implement automated threat detection tools for quicker identification
- Prioritize high-impact threats for immediate response
OKRs to implement cutting-edge bot detection technologies for website data
- ObjectiveImplement cutting-edge bot detection technologies for website data
- KRAchieve 95% accuracy rate in detecting bots using newly implemented technologies
- Continuously refine and update the models deployed
- Test algorithms with diverse sets of data
- Implement new machine learning algorithms for bot detection
- KRIntegrate and test 3 selected bot detection technologies on our website
- Choose three suitable bot detection technologies for our website
- Conduct thorough testing to ensure effectiveness
- Implement these technologies into our site's backend
- KRIdentify and study 10 new bot detection methods from industry research
- Analyze each method's pros, cons, and applicability
- Select 10 recent industry research on bot detection methods
- Prepare a report summarizing findings
OKRs to implement and maintain SOCII compliance measures
- ObjectiveEnsure ongoing SOCII compliance
- KRConduct regular testing and auditing to assess SOCII compliance status
- KRTrain and educate all relevant teams on SOCII compliance regulations and best practices
- KRMonitor and promptly address any SOCII compliance gaps or violations identified
- Establish a dedicated team to promptly address and resolve any identified SOCII compliance issues
- Implement corrective measures to address identified SOCII compliance gaps promptly
- Conduct regular audits to identify any SOCII compliance gaps or violations
- Maintain a vigilant monitoring system to detect any new SOCII compliance violations
- KRImplement and maintain necessary controls and processes to meet SOCII requirements
- Conduct initial assessment of current controls and processes to identify gaps
- Develop and document new controls and processes to fulfill SOCII requirements
- Regularly monitor and evaluate controls and processes to ensure ongoing compliance
- Train and educate employees on the importance and execution of SOCII controls
OKRs to improve the effectiveness and security of Identity Access Management (IAM) initiatives
- ObjectiveImprove the effectiveness and security of Identity Access Management (IAM) initiatives
- KRReduce IAM-related security incidents by 20%
- Implement multi-factor authentication for IAM systems
- Update and enforce strict password policies
- Conduct regular IAM security training sessions
- KRImplement two-factor authentication for all employee IAM accounts
- Purchase and install selected two-factor authentication software
- Train employees on how to use the new authentication process
- Research suitable two-factor authentication software for IAM accounts
- KRIncrease IAM user compliance rate by 30%
- Implement stricter IAM user permission policies
- Provide regular IAM user compliance training
- Regularly audit and correct non-compliant IAM users
OKRs to enhance MFA capabilities and user access review process
- ObjectiveEnhance MFA capabilities and user access review process
- KRConduct user access reviews for 100% of active accounts
- Resolve any inappropriate access findings
- Identify all active accounts in the system
- Review access privileges for each account
- KRImplement an advanced MFA system with at least 95% successful user authentication rate
- Monitor and improve authentication success rate post-implementation
- Identify a reliable advanced MFA system to install
- Plan and execute staff training on the MFA system
- KRTrain all employees on new MFA capabilities and access review processes to boost compliance by 90%
- Plan a comprehensive training on new MFA capabilities for all employees
- Monitor and track compliance rates, aiming to achieve a 90% increase
- Conduct the training, focusing on access review processes
How to write your own Information Security OKRs
1. Get tailored OKRs with an AI
You'll find some examples below, but it's likely that you have very specific needs that won't be covered.
You can use Tability's AI generator to create tailored OKRs based on your specific context. Tability can turn your objective description into a fully editable OKR template -- including tips to help you refine your goals.
- 1. Go to Tability's plan editor
- 2. Click on the "Generate goals using AI" button
- 3. Use natural language to describe your goals
Tability will then use your prompt to generate a fully editable OKR template.
Watch the video below to see it in action 👇
Option 2. Optimise existing OKRs with Tability Feedback tool
If you already have existing goals, and you want to improve them. You can use Tability's AI feedback to help you.
- 1. Go to Tability's plan editor
- 2. Add your existing OKRs (you can import them from a spreadsheet)
- 3. Click on "Generate analysis"
Tability's Strategy Map makes it easy to see all your org's OKRsTability will scan your OKRs and offer different suggestions to improve them. This can range from a small rewrite of a statement to make it clearer to a complete rewrite of the entire OKR.
You can then decide to accept the suggestions or dismiss them if you don't agree.
Option 3. Use the free OKR generator
If you're just looking for some quick inspiration, you can also use our free OKR generator to get a template.
Unlike with Tability, you won't be able to iterate on the templates, but this is still a great way to get started.
Information Security OKR best practices
Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.
Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇
Tip #1: Limit the number of key results
Having too many OKRs is the #1 mistake that teams make when adopting the framework. The problem with tracking too many competing goals is that it will be hard for your team to know what really matters.
We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.
Tip #2: Commit to weekly OKR check-ins
Setting good goals can be challenging, but without regular check-ins, your team will struggle to make progress. We recommend that you track your OKRs weekly to get the full benefits from the framework.
Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.
Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row
Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples above). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.
As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.
Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.
How to track your Information Security OKRs
Your quarterly OKRs should be tracked weekly in order to get all the benefits of the OKRs framework. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:
- It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
- It will highlight poorly set OKRs
- It will surface execution risks
- It improves transparency and accountability
Most teams should start with a spreadsheet if they're using OKRs for the first time. Then, once you get comfortable you can graduate to a proper OKRs-tracking tool.
If you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.
More Information Security OKR templates
We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.
- OKRs to establish powerful brand's core messaging and voice
- OKRs to implement comprehensive HR policies and procedures
- OKRs to enroll in relevant courses for proficient website development
- OKRs to successfully launch the MVP of our e-commerce platform
- OKRs to enhance inbound strategy to boost agency recruitment and VA services
- OKRs to enhance professional growth through lunch and learn sessions