Executives: When you make decisions, make sure you fully understand the pros and cons of your decisions. If IT is asking for some new technology, how do you know if it is an IT “want” or a “need?”

Many of our clients explain that sometimes a qualified independent third party is the best person to help them understand the ramifications, both positive and negative, of making decisions.

When an executive asks their own IT professionals or service providers for advice, the executive wonders if the IT professional has some kind of “agenda.”

When executives talk to their peers and get advice on technology, keep in mind that they may not fully understand how the same technology they tried can help or hurt your organization’s situation.

A qualified independent third party has no “agenda” other than to help you. Most IT professionals, and even IT vendors, appreciate your choosing to seek advice from the qualified third party since then the IT professional doesn’t feel they have to “convince” you of necessary changes.

Most of the time top-level executives have 20/20 hindsight after security event or IT failure affects an organization. I hear questions like, “Why weren’t the IT professionals prepared—why didn’t they do something to protect us from something like this from happening?” Often the executives are very angry at their IT professionals. Wise ones know to go look in the mirror to see who to blame.