In Depth

Unified Security: The Payoff...The Pain

The benefits of running a unified security operation are real. CSOs say they can lead their functions to be more effective and save money at the same time. But getting there is tough.

By Todd Datz

So there: We've laid out five ways convergence can make your security department faster, stronger and more efficient, and rack up cost savings to boot. Converging can also turn the various security staffers scattered around a company doing their own physical or logical or investigative thing into a more cohesive team, focused on a central mission.

Is it for everybody? No. Is it painless? Of course not. But if you've done the due diligence and believe that convergence can enhance your security posture and bring more value to the business, the CSOs in this story will tell you that you can converge and not just survive, but prosper.

Mecsics, who served in the Air Force for 27 years in various security capacities, recounts how he used to get his troops thinking as one. "I used to show the guys a jet. I said, our job is to make sure that jet can take off and come back. No matter what your job is, your main mission is to make that happen."

Next: Turn the page to learn how CSOs work to overcome the real and persistent challenges involved in forming and leading a unified security department.

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