# Security Investment Prioritization Matrix

- **PURPOSE:** Enables objective comparison and prioritization of security investments based on business impact, implementation feasibility, and strategic alignment.
- **WHEN TO USE:**When faced with multiple security investment options, limited resources, or when needing to build consensus across stakeholders on investment priorities.

## STEP 1: DEFINE EVALUATION CRITERIA AND WEIGHTING

Assign weights to each category based on organizational priorities (total should equal 100%):

Business Impact (\_\_\_\_%)

- Revenue protection/enablement
- Cost reduction
- Productivity improvement
- Regulatory compliance

Risk Reduction (\_\_\_\_%)

- Threat likelihood reduction
- Potential impact mitigation
- Scope of protection
- Control effectiveness

Strategic Alignment (\_\_\_\_%)

- Support for business initiatives
- Executive priority alignment
- Long-term security roadmap fit
- Competitive differentiation

Implementation Feasibility (\_\_\_\_%)

- Resource requirements
- Implementation timeline
- Technical complexity
- Organizational change impact

## STEP 2: RATE EACH INVESTMENT OPTION

Score each investment option on a scale of 1-5 for each criterion, where: 

1 = Minimal contribution/very difficult 

3 = Moderate contribution/average difficulty 

5 = Significant contribution/very easy

## STEP 3: CALCULATE WEIGHTED SCORES

| Investment Option | Business Impact (Score × Weight) | Risk Reduction (Score × Weight) | Strategic Alignment (Score × Weight) | Implementation Feasibility (Score × Weight) | Total Score |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Option A |  |  |  |  |  |
| Option B |  |  |  |  |  |
| Option C |  |  |  |  |  |

Table 1: Calculate Weighted Scores

## STEP 4: INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO VISUALIZATION

Plot each investment on a 2×2 matrix:

- X-axis: Implementation Complexity (Low to High)
- Y-axis: Business Value (Low to High)

This creates four quadrants:

- Quick Wins: High Value + Low Complexity
- Strategic Projects: High Value + High Complexity
- Fill-in Projects: Low Value + Low Complexity
- Reconsider: Low Value + High Complexity

## IMPLEMENTATION TIPS:

- Involve cross-functional stakeholders in the scoring process to reduce bias
- Adjust criteria weighting to match current organizational priorities
- Review and update scores quarterly as business conditions and priorities change

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(c)[Kayne McGladrey](https://kaynemcgladrey.com/) - [Get the full book "Cyber Risk is a Myth"](https://www.routledge.com/Cyber-Risk-is-a-Myth-A-Business-Approach-to-Integrated-Risk-Management/McGladrey/p/book/9781041249054)