Section 2: Ground Yourself in Strategic Context

Before you seek approval, understand the world your business is operating in.

Every compelling business case starts with context. If you want leadership to care about your initiative, you need to first care about theirs. What is the organization trying to achieve this year? Where is the business growing—or struggling? What’s keeping executives up at night?

Too many security proposals are built in a vacuum. They speak to the priorities of the CISO’s office, but not the boardroom.

This section helps you align your ask with what matters most—so your proposal is seen not as a competing demand, but a strategic lever.

🔍 Understand Business Strategy and Constraints

Start by mapping the top-level business goals:

• What are the stated growth, efficiency, or transformation priorities?

• Are there key initiatives in flight—M&A, digital modernization, customer experience?

• Where is the company investing? Where is it cutting back?

Then, map the constraints:

• Market headwinds, cost pressures, regulatory risks, or technology bottlenecks

• Are certain functions or departments under intense scrutiny?

Tip: If you haven’t seen the CEO or CFO’s priorities for the year, ask for them.

🎯 Clarify the Relevance of Cybersecurity

Now connect the dots: How does your initiative support or protect what the business already cares about?

Examples:

• Improve time to value in M&A integration by reducing IAM bottlenecks

• Strengthen system uptime for revenue-critical platforms

• Mitigate risk of breach in regulated or high-liability customer segments

Avoid generic statements. Be specific about how your work contributes to:

• Revenue protection or acceleration

• Operational stability

• Cost avoidance

• Customer trust or retention

Positioning guidance: You’re not just reducing risk. You’re protecting strategic momentum.

🧠 Strategic Inputs to Carry Forward

This step provides inputs that shape every downstream part of your business case:

• Language that resonates with business stakeholders

• Strategic priorities your case must support

• Constraints and narratives already influencing budget decisions

Capturing these insights early ensures your case lands in the right context—not just as a request, but as a contribution to business success.

📝 Section 2 Planning Questions

1. What are the top 2–3 strategic priorities or transformations happening in your organization right now?

2. Where does your cybersecurity initiative clearly support, accelerate, or protect those priorities?

3. What competing narratives (cost pressure, change fatigue, low urgency) must you account for in your case?