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Workbook helps get C-suite buyoff to keep networks and companies secure

SEATTLE - April 6, 2015 - There's a running joke in IT about the secret to getting the network security budgets they need: wait for a breach. Naturally, that's the most costly way for companies to address network security, because it's too late. According to Pricewaterhouse Coopers, 48 million cyber security incidents were reported in 2014, the worst costing more than a billion dollars in losses - far more than the cost of protecting networks properly in the first place.

To help IT professionals better present a case to the C-suite, WatchGuard Technologies, a leader in multi-function security appliances, released a new eBook: How to Sell Infosec to the C-Suite: A Playbook to Build Your Case and Get your Budget. Download it here.

This 7-step guide offers security professionals a "playbook" with tips such as: how to properly evaluate your company's security position; best practices for scanning and identifying possible network weaknesses; and guidelines for successfully presenting your business case for resolution to the C-Suite.

"Hackers know companies are vulnerable because they struggle with the perceived cost and complexity of properly securing their networks," said Richard Barber, chief financial officer at WatchGuard. "Companies can no longer afford to wait for a breach to ensure their networks are prepared to face today's cyber criminals. Our new guide helps organizations walk through the process of evaluating their security stance, putting these risks into business impact terms, and guiding them on how to successfully get buyoff from executives or business unit heads."

As a sample, here are some of Barber's key tips to consider when presenting to the C-suite:

• Understand the executive's level of technical proficiency
• Understand the organization's competing priorities
• Frame the discussion around organizational impact
• Provide a list of potential outcomes with an indication of probability and organizational impact

For more information on how WatchGuard's Next Generation Firewalls and Unified Threat Management appliances are delivering industry-leading performance, click here.