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IT Security Roadmap: From Zero to Secure in 90 Days

IT Security Roadmap: From Zero to Secure in 90 Days

For: New IT managers, security-conscious leaders, and organizations building security from scratch
Goal: Transform from minimal security to a robust, compliant security posture in 90 days
Outcome: Measurable risk reduction, audit-ready documentation, and sustainable security practices

Executive Summary

70% of cyberattacks succeed because of inadequate security basics, not sophisticated hacking. This 90-day roadmap focuses on implementing foundational security controls that prevent 90% of common attacks.

What You'll Achieve:

Week 1-30 (Foundation):

  • Security assessment completed
  • Critical vulnerabilities identified
  • Quick wins implemented
  • Policies documented

Week 31-60 (Controls):

  • Access controls hardened
  • Network segmented
  • Endpoints protected
  • Monitoring deployed

Week 61-90 (Maturity):

  • Incident response tested
  • Compliance validated
  • Team trained
  • Continuous improvement established

Investment Required:

  • Budget: $15K-50K (depending on org size)
  • Time: 20-40 hours/week (IT Manager + team)
  • Headcount: 1-2 FTE minimum

Note: This roadmap assumes 50-500 employees. Adjust timelines for smaller/larger organizations.

Pre-Flight Check: Are You Ready?

Prerequisites (Complete BEFORE starting):

✅ Executive buy-in - CEO/CFO approved budget and priority
✅ Dedicated resources - At least 1 person 50% allocated
✅ Baseline inventory - Know what assets and systems you have
✅ Compliance requirements - Understand SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS, or other requirements
✅ Budget approved - $15K-50K for tools, services, training

If you don't have these, STOP. Get them first, or your 90-day plan will fail.

Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1-30)

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Goal: Understand current state, identify critical gaps

Actions:

  1. Download & Complete Security Assessment Checklist

  2. Interview Key Stakeholders

    • IT Operations (infrastructure, network)
    • Applications team (software, APIs)
    • HR (policies, onboarding/offboarding)
    • Finance (budget, vendors)
    • End users (pain points, shadow IT)

  3. Vulnerability Scan

    • External scan: Use Shodan, SecurityScorecard, or hire pentester
    • Internal scan: Nessus, OpenVAS, or Qualys
    • Document findings by severity

  4. Compliance Gap Analysis

    • Map requirements to controls (SOC 2, HIPAA, etc.)
    • Identify compliance-critical gaps
    • Document regulatory risks

Deliverable: Security Assessment Report with prioritized findings

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Goal: Reduce risk NOW while building long-term plan

Quick Win #1: Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

  • Where: Office 365, Google Workspace, VPN, admin accounts
  • How: Enroll all users in Duo, Microsoft Authenticator, or Google Authenticator
  • Time: 4-8 hours
  • Cost: $0-3/user/month
  • Impact: Prevents 99.9% of account compromises

Quick Win #2: Patch Critical Vulnerabilities

  • Where: Operating systems, applications, network devices
  • How: Deploy WSUS, SCCM, or third-party patch management
  • Time: 8-16 hours
  • Cost: $0 (Windows), $2K-5K (third-party tools)
  • Impact: Close known exploit paths

Quick Win #3: Implement Password Policy

  • Where: Active Directory, cloud identity providers
  • How: Enforce 12+ chars, complexity, no reuse of last 10
  • Time: 2 hours
  • Cost: $0
  • Impact: Strengthen first line of defense

Quick Win #4: Block Malicious IPs/Domains

  • Where: Firewall, DNS filtering
  • How: Subscribe to threat intelligence feeds
  • Time: 4 hours
  • Cost: $0-500/month
  • Impact: Block known bad actors automatically

Quick Win #5: Enable Full Disk Encryption

  • Where: All laptops and mobile devices
  • How: BitLocker (Windows), FileVault (Mac), MDM for mobile
  • Time: 2-4 hours setup + user enrollment
  • Cost: $0 (built-in)
  • Impact: Protect data if device lost/stolen

Deliverable: Quick Wins Implementation Report (5 controls implemented)

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Goal: Establish rules and expectations in writing

Required Policies (Minimum):

  1. Acceptable Use Policy (Template)

    • Internet and email usage
    • Personal device guidelines
    • Social media policies

  2. Password Management Policy

    • Password requirements (12+ chars, complexity)
    • Password managers approved
    • MFA mandatory

  3. Data Classification Policy

    • Public, Internal, Confidential, Restricted
    • Handling requirements by classification
    • Examples for clarity

  4. Remote Work Policy

    • VPN requirements
    • Home network security
    • Physical security at home

  5. Incident Response Policy

    • What constitutes an incident
    • Reporting procedures
    • Escalation paths

How to Create Policies:

  • Use templates (don't reinvent the wheel)
  • Keep them concise (2-5 pages each)
  • Use plain language, not legalese
  • Get legal review if needed
  • CEO/CIO sign-off required

Deliverable: 5 core security policies documented and approved

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Goal: Ensure users have appropriate access, nothing more

Access Control Improvements:

  1. Review User Accounts

    • Audit all Active Directory / cloud IAM users
    • Disable inactive accounts (not logged in > 90 days)
    • Remove terminated employee accounts immediately
    • Identify shared accounts (eliminate them)

  2. Implement Least Privilege

    • Remove unnecessary admin rights
    • Create role-based access groups
    • Grant only permissions needed for job function
    • Document access requests and approvals

  3. Strengthen Privileged Access

    • Separate admin accounts from regular accounts
    • Require MFA for all admin access
    • Log and monitor all privileged actions
    • Implement Just-in-Time (JIT) admin access if possible

  4. Quarterly Access Reviews

    • Schedule recurring access certification
    • Managers validate team access
    • Revoke unnecessary permissions
    • Document review process

Tools:

  • Native: Active Directory, Azure AD, Google Workspace
  • Paid: Okta, OneLogin, JumpCloud ($5-15/user/month)

Deliverable: Access Control Matrix with roles, permissions, and review schedule

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Goal: Isolate critical systems, contain breaches

Network Security Improvements:

  1. Map Current Network

    • Create network diagram (use Draw.io, Visio)
    • Identify all network segments
    • Document firewall rules

  2. Implement Basic Segmentation

    • Guest Wi-Fi: Isolated from corporate network
    • DMZ: Public-facing servers (web, email)
    • Internal: Employee workstations
    • Server VLAN: Internal servers (databases, file servers)
    • Management VLAN: Network/infrastructure management

  3. Harden Firewall Rules

    • Default deny (allowlist approach)
    • Document each rule (purpose, business justification)
    • Remove unused rules
    • Schedule quarterly firewall review

  4. Deploy Next-Gen Firewall (If needed)

    • Palo Alto, Fortinet, Cisco Firepower
    • Enable IPS/IDS, web filtering, threat intelligence
    • Budget: $5K-20K depending on throughput needs

Deliverable: Network segmentation diagram and updated firewall ruleset

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Goal: Protect all laptops, desktops, servers, mobile devices

Endpoint Protection Improvements:

  1. Deploy Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)

    • Tools: CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
    • Cost: $8-15/endpoint/month
    • Deployment: 1-2 days for 100 endpoints
    • Coverage: 100% of laptops, desktops, servers

  2. Enforce Security Baselines

    • Windows: CIS Benchmarks or Microsoft Security Baselines
    • Mac: CIS macOS Benchmark
    • Linux: CIS Distribution Benchmarks
    • Deploy via GPO or MDM

  3. Implement Mobile Device Management (MDM)

    • Tools: Intune, Jamf, Workspace ONE
    • Cost: $5-10/device/month
    • Features: Remote wipe, encryption enforcement, app management

  4. Automate Patch Management

    • OS patches: Within 30 days (critical within 7 days)
    • Application updates: Automated where possible
    • Test patches in dev before production

Deliverable: Endpoint security dashboard showing 100% coverage

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Goal: Turn employees into first line of defense

Training Implementation:

  1. Select Training Platform

    • Tools: KnowBe4, Proofpoint, Cofense
    • Cost: $15-25/user/year
    • Features: Phishing simulations, video training, reporting

  2. Mandatory Training for All Employees

    • Duration: 30-45 minutes
    • Topics:
      • Password security & MFA
      • Phishing recognition
      • Physical security
      • Data classification
      • Incident reporting
    • Completion: Track to 100%

  3. Monthly Phishing Simulations

    • Send simulated phishing emails
    • Track click rates
    • Remedial training for clickers
    • Measure improvement over time

  4. Security Champions Program

    • Identify 1 champion per department
    • Monthly meetings
    • Advocate for security
    • Report concerns

Deliverable: 100% training completion, phishing simulation baseline

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Measure Progress:

  • ✅ Security assessment completed & prioritized
  • ✅ 5 quick wins implemented
  • ✅ 5 core policies documented and approved
  • ✅ Access controls improved (least privilege, MFA)
  • ✅ Network segmentation basic implementation
  • ✅ Endpoint security deployed (100% coverage)
  • ✅ Security awareness training rolled out

Security Score Improvement: Expect 30-40% improvement from Day 1

Executive Report: Present progress, quick wins, and next phase plan

Phase 2: Security Controls (Days 31-60)

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Goal: See everything happening across your environment

SIEM Implementation:

  1. Select SIEM Solution

    • Options:
      • Cloud: Splunk Cloud, Sumo Logic, Datadog ($100-500/GB/month)
      • On-Prem: Splunk Enterprise, Elastic Stack (free + hosting costs)
      • Hybrid: Microsoft Sentinel ($2-5/GB ingested)

  2. Log Sources to Ingest (Priority Order)

    • Critical:
      • Firewall logs
      • VPN logs
      • Active Directory / Azure AD (authentication events)
      • Office 365 / Google Workspace (email, file access)
      • EDR/antivirus (malware detections, quarantines)
    • Important:
      • Windows Event Logs (failed logins, privilege escalations)
      • Linux auth logs
      • Network device logs (switches, routers)
      • Application logs (web apps, databases)
    • Nice to Have:
      • Cloud infrastructure logs (AWS CloudTrail, Azure Activity Log)
      • SaaS application logs

  3. Define Retention Policy

    • Minimum: 90 days online, 1 year archived
    • Compliance: HIPAA/PCI may require 7 years
    • Balance: Cost vs. retention needs

  4. Create Baseline Alerts

    • Failed login attempts (>5 in 15 min)
    • New admin account created
    • Privilege escalation attempts
    • Malware detected
    • Large file transfers (data exfiltration)
    • VPN from unusual locations
    • After-hours access by privileged accounts

Deliverable: SIEM deployed with 10+ critical log sources, baseline alerts configured

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Goal: Detect and respond to threats in real-time

Monitoring Improvements:

  1. Deploy Intrusion Detection/Prevention (IDS/IPS)

    • Where: Network perimeter, critical segments
    • Tools: Suricata (free), Snort (free), Palo Alto Threat Prevention
    • Rules: Enable IDS/IPS signatures, tune to reduce false positives

  2. Implement File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)

    • Where: Critical servers (web, database, domain controllers)
    • Tools: OSSEC, Tripwire, native OS tools
    • Alert on: Unauthorized file changes, new admin accounts, config modifications

  3. Enable Cloud Security Monitoring

    • AWS: GuardDuty, Security Hub, CloudTrail
    • Azure: Defender for Cloud, Sentinel
    • GCP: Security Command Center
    • Monitor: Unusual API calls, privilege escalations, resource changes

  4. Create SOC Procedures (Or Managed SOC)

    • In-House: Assign on-call rotation, 24/7 monitoring
    • Outsourced: Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) ($5K-20K/month)
    • Hybrid: MSSP for after-hours, in-house for business hours

Deliverable: 24/7 security monitoring capability, alert triage procedures

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Goal: Continuously identify and remediate vulnerabilities

Vulnerability Management Setup:

  1. Deploy Vulnerability Scanner

    • Tools: Nessus Professional, Qualys, Rapid7 InsightVM
    • Cost: $2K-10K/year depending on asset count
    • Scan Frequency:
      • External assets: Weekly
      • Internal assets: Monthly
      • After major changes: Ad-hoc

  2. Vulnerability Remediation SLAs

    • Critical: 7 days
    • High: 30 days
    • Medium: 90 days
    • Low: Next maintenance window

  3. Patch Management Process

    • Automated: OS patches via WSUS/SCCM
    • Manual: Third-party apps (Java, Adobe, browsers)
    • Testing: Pilot group before mass deployment
    • Reporting: Monthly patch compliance dashboard

  4. Annual Penetration Test

    • When: End of 90 days (schedule now)
    • Scope: External + internal
    • Budget: $10K-30K
    • Goal: Validate security controls, find gaps

Deliverable: Vulnerability scanning operational, remediation tracking, pentest scheduled

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Goal: Know where sensitive data is, protect it appropriately

Data Protection Implementation:

  1. Data Discovery & Classification

    • Tools: Microsoft Purview, Google Cloud DLP, Varonis
    • Process:
      • Scan file shares, SharePoint, cloud storage
      • Identify PII, PHI, financial data, IP
      • Tag/label by classification (Public, Internal, Confidential, Restricted)

  2. Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

    • Tools: Microsoft DLP, Symantec DLP, Forcepoint
    • Policies:
      • Block email of SSNs, credit cards without encryption
      • Alert on large file downloads
      • Prevent upload to personal cloud (Dropbox, iCloud)
    • Enforcement: Monitor-only for 2 weeks, then block

  3. Encryption Implementation

    • Data at Rest:
      • Full disk encryption: BitLocker, FileVault (already done Day 5)
      • Database encryption: TDE (SQL Server), encryption at rest (MongoDB, etc.)
      • Cloud storage: Enable encryption (S3, Azure Blob)
    • Data in Transit:
      • TLS 1.2+ for all web traffic
      • VPN for remote access
      • Email encryption for sensitive data (S/MIME, PGP, or portal)

  4. Secure File Sharing

    • Replace: Consumer services (Dropbox, WeTransfer)
    • With: Enterprise solutions (OneDrive, Box, SharePoint)
    • Features: Access controls, expiration, audit logs

Deliverable: Data classified, DLP policies enforced, encryption validated

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Goal: Ensure business continuity and ransomware resilience

Backup Strategy Implementation:

  1. Backup Assessment

    • Audit: What's currently backed up?
    • Gaps: Identify unprotected systems
    • RPO/RTO: Define recovery objectives
      • RPO: How much data can you afford to lose? (4 hours, 24 hours?)
      • RTO: How quickly must you recover? (2 hours, 8 hours?)

  2. Implement 3-2-1 Backup Rule

    • 3 copies of data (production + 2 backups)
    • 2 different media types (disk, tape, cloud)
    • 1 copy offsite (cloud, remote data center)

  3. Ransomware-Proof Backups

    • Immutable backups: Cannot be encrypted/deleted (Veeam, Rubrik, AWS Backup Vault Lock)
    • Air-gapped backups: Physically disconnected (tape, offline disk)
    • Test restores monthly: Verify backups work!

  4. Disaster Recovery Plan

    • Document: Systems, dependencies, recovery procedures
    • Prioritize: Tier 1 (restore within hours), Tier 2 (1-2 days), Tier 3 (1 week)
    • Test: Conduct tabletop exercise or failover test

Deliverable: Backup strategy implemented, DR plan documented, restore test completed

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Goal: Ensure vendors don't become your weakest link

Vendor Security Program:

  1. Inventory All Vendors

    • List: All SaaS, cloud, managed services, contractors
    • Risk Tier: High (access to sensitive data), Medium, Low

  2. Security Questionnaires

    • Tool: Use standard questionnaires (SIG, CAIQ, custom)
    • Required for: All high-risk vendors
    • Topics: Security controls, compliance, incident history, insurance

  3. Vendor Contracts & SLAs

    • Include:
      • Security requirements
      • Incident notification (24-48 hours)
      • Right to audit
      • Data Processing Agreement (DPA) for GDPR
      • Cyber insurance requirements

  4. Annual Vendor Reviews

    • High-risk: Annual reassessment
    • Medium-risk: Every 2 years
    • Monitor: Security incidents, breaches, compliance changes

Deliverable: Vendor risk register, questionnaires completed, contracts updated

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Measure Progress:

  • ✅ SIEM deployed with comprehensive logging
  • ✅ 24/7 security monitoring operational
  • ✅ Vulnerability management program established
  • ✅ Data classified and DLP policies enforced
  • ✅ Ransomware-proof backups implemented
  • ✅ Vendor security program launched

Security Score Improvement: Expect 60-70% improvement from Day 1

Executive Report: Demonstrate risk reduction, compliance progress

Phase 3: Maturity & Continuous Improvement (Days 61-90)

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Goal: Be prepared to respond effectively to security incidents

Incident Response Implementation:

  1. Create Incident Response Plan

    • Based on: NIST SP 800-61 Incident Handling Guide
    • Phases:
      1. Preparation
      2. Detection & Analysis
      3. Containment, Eradication, & Recovery
      4. Post-Incident Activity

  2. Define Incident Severity Levels

    • Critical (P1): Business-critical system down, active breach, ransomware
      • Response: Immediate, 24/7, all-hands
    • High (P2): Major system compromised, significant data at risk
      • Response: Within 1 hour, escalate to leadership
    • Medium (P3): Isolated incident, malware detected and contained
      • Response: Within 4 hours, normal business hours
    • Low (P4): Policy violation, suspicious but unconfirmed
      • Response: Within 24 hours

  3. Establish Incident Response Team

    • IR Lead: IT Director/Security Lead
    • Technical: Systems admin, network admin, security analyst
    • Communications: PR/Marketing (external comms)
    • Legal: General Counsel (breach notifications, liability)
    • Executive: CIO/CEO (high-severity incidents)

  4. Create Incident Playbooks

    • Ransomware
    • Data Breach
    • DDoS Attack
    • Phishing Campaign
    • Insider Threat
    • Malware Outbreak

Deliverable: Incident Response Plan documented, team identified, playbooks created

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Goal: Test IR plan before real incident occurs

Tabletop Exercise:

  1. Select Scenario

    • Recommended: Ransomware attack (most common, high impact)
    • Scenario: "Friday 3pm, HR reports encrypted files, ransom note appears on 20+ computers"

  2. Conduct Tabletop (2-3 hours)

    • Attendees: Full IR team
    • Facilitator: External consultant or experienced internal lead
    • Walk Through:
      • Initial response (who, what, when)
      • Containment (isolate infected systems)
      • Eradication (remove malware)
      • Recovery (restore from backups)
      • Communication (internal, customers, regulators)
    • Document: Decisions, gaps, unclear responsibilities

  3. Identify Gaps & Improve

    • Common Findings:
      • Contact lists outdated
      • Backup restore process unclear
      • Communication templates missing
      • Roles/responsibilities overlap
    • Action Items: Assign owner, due date for each gap

  4. Schedule Real Exercises

    • Quarterly: Tabletop exercises (different scenarios)
    • Annually: Full incident response simulation

Deliverable: Tabletop exercise completed, gaps identified and remediated

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Goal: Proactive threat detection and investigation readiness

Advanced Detection Capabilities:

  1. Implement Forensics Toolkit

    • Tools: FTK, EnCase, SANS SIFT, Autopsy
    • Training: Send 1-2 team members to forensics training
    • Use Cases: Investigate suspected breaches, legal holds

  2. Threat Hunting Program

    • What: Proactive search for undetected threats
    • Who: Security analyst or MSSP
    • Frequency: Monthly hunts
    • Focus Areas:
      • Unusual network connections
      • Suspicious process activity
      • Lateral movement indicators
      • Data exfiltration patterns

  3. Threat Intelligence Integration

    • Sources: Open-source (OSINT), commercial (Recorded Future, ThreatConnect)
    • Integration: Feed IOCs into SIEM, EDR, firewall
    • Action: Automated blocking of known bad IPs/domains

Deliverable: Forensics capability established, threat hunting initiated

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Goal: Verify compliance with applicable regulations

Compliance Activities:

  1. Re-Run Security Assessment

    • Use: Same checklist from Day 1
    • Score: All 145 controls
    • Compare: Day 1 vs. Day 90 scores
    • Expected: 60-80% improvement

  2. Map Controls to Compliance Frameworks

    • SOC 2: Trust Services Criteria
    • HIPAA: Security Rule requirements
    • GDPR: Technical and organizational measures
    • PCI-DSS: 12 requirements (if accepting cards)
    • ISO 27001: 114 controls in Annex A

  3. Gap Remediation Plan

    • Remaining gaps: Prioritize by compliance risk
    • Timeline: 90-180 days post Day-90
    • Budget: Allocate for tools, consultants, audits

  4. Pre-Audit Readiness

    • Documentation: Policies, procedures, evidence
    • Interviews: Prep team for auditor questions
    • Mock Audit: Internal review or hire consultant

Deliverable: Compliance gap analysis, remediation roadmap, audit readiness

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Goal: Operationalize security with clear procedures

Documentation Sprint:

  1. Security Operations Runbooks

    • Topics:
      • User onboarding/offboarding security checklist
      • Incident response procedures
      • Vulnerability remediation workflow
      • Access request/approval process
      • Firewall rule change process
      • System hardening standards
    • Format: Step-by-step, screenshots, decision trees

  2. Update Network & Architecture Diagrams

    • Current state: As-implemented
    • Include: VLANs, firewalls, DMZ, cloud connections
    • Tool: Draw.io, Visio, Lucidchart

  3. Asset Inventory

  4. Change Management

Deliverable: Comprehensive security documentation library

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Goal: Establish sustainable security program

Security Operations & Metrics:

  1. Define Security Metrics (KPIs)

    • Operational:
      • Mean Time to Detect (MTTD): <24 hours
      • Mean Time to Respond (MTTR): <4 hours (P1), <24 hours (P2)
      • Patch compliance: >95% within SLA
      • MFA adoption: 100%
      • Security training completion: 100%
    • Risk:
      • Number of critical vulnerabilities: Trending down
      • Phishing click rate: <5% (target <2%)
      • Security incidents: <5/month (target 0)
    • Compliance:
      • Security assessment score: >80%
      • Audit findings: 0 critical, <5 medium

  2. Monthly Security Reporting

    • Audience: CIO, CIS, executive team
    • Format: 1-page executive summary + detailed appendix
    • Include: Metrics, incidents, projects, risks

  3. Quarterly Security Roadmap Review

    • Review: What's working, what's not
    • Adjust: Priorities based on threat landscape, business changes
    • Plan: Next 90 days

  4. Annual Security Budget Planning

    • Baseline: Current spend (tools, people, services)
    • Growth: 10-20% year-over-year typical
    • Justify: Risk reduction, compliance, business enablement

Deliverable: Security metrics dashboard, quarterly roadmap, annual budget

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Measure Final Progress:

  • ✅ Incident response plan tested and refined
  • ✅ Forensics and threat hunting operational
  • ✅ Compliance validated and documented
  • ✅ Security operations runbooks complete
  • ✅ Continuous improvement program established

Security Score Improvement: Target 70-85% improvement from Day 1

Final Executive Report: Demonstrate transformation, ROI, next steps

Day 90: Outcomes & Metrics

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Risk Reduction:

  • Before: High risk (ad-hoc security, no controls)
  • After: Moderate-low risk (foundation solid, continuous monitoring)

Security Score:

  • Day 1: 1.5-2.5/4.0 (Poor to Fair)
  • Day 90: 3.0-3.5/4.0 (Good to Very Good)

Compliance:

  • Day 1: Non-compliant or significant gaps
  • Day 90: Audit-ready, minor findings expected

Incident Preparedness:

  • Day 1: Reactive, no plan
  • Day 90: Proactive monitoring, tested IR plan

Beyond Day 90: Continuous Improvement

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Quarter 2 (Days 91-180):

  • Complete compliance audit (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.)
  • Implement SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, Response)
  • Expand threat hunting to weekly cadence
  • Advanced security training for team (SANS, CISSP)

Quarter 3 (Days 181-270):

  • Red team / purple team exercises
  • Zero Trust architecture planning
  • Cloud security optimization
  • API security assessment

Quarter 4 (Days 271-365):

  • Security program maturity assessment
  • Penetration testing (annual)
  • Security roadmap planning for Year 2
  • Budget approval for next fiscal year

Budget Breakdown (90 Days)

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| Category | Tools/Services | Cost | |----------|---------------|------| | SIEM | Cloud SIEM (Splunk, Sumo Logic) | $3,000-5,000 | | EDR | CrowdStrike, SentinelOne (100 endpoints) | $1,000-1,500 | | Security Awareness | KnowBe4, Proofpoint (100 users) | $1,500-2,500 | | Vulnerability Scanning | Nessus Professional | $2,400 | | Penetration Test | External + Internal | $10,000-15,000 | | Backup & DR | Cloud backup (Veeam, Rubrik) | $2,000-3,000 | | Professional Services | Consultant for assessment, IR plan | $5,000-10,000 | | TOTAL | | $25,000-40,000 |

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| Category | Tools/Services | Cost | |----------|---------------|------| | SIEM | Enterprise SIEM | $10,000-20,000 | | EDR | 500 endpoints | $5,000-7,500 | | Security Awareness | 500 users | $7,500-12,500 | | Vulnerability Scanning | Qualys, Rapid7 | $5,000-10,000 | | Penetration Test | Comprehensive | $15,000-30,000 | | DLP | Microsoft DLP or Forcepoint | $10,000-20,000 | | Backup & DR | Enterprise solution | $10,000-15,000 | | MSSP | 24/7 monitoring (partial 90 days) | $15,000-20,000 | | Professional Services | CISO-as-a-Service, consultants | $15,000-25,000 | | TOTAL | | $90,000-150,000 |

Note: Costs vary by vendor, region, and specific requirements. Budget 20% buffer for unexpected needs.

Success Stories

Case Study 1: SaaS Startup (120 employees)

  • Challenge: No security program, seeking SOC 2 Type 2
  • 90-Day Outcome: Passed SOC 2 audit with 2 minor findings
  • Investment: $45,000
  • Result: Closed 3 enterprise deals worth $500K (security was blocker)

Case Study 2: Healthcare Provider (250 employees)

  • Challenge: HIPAA non-compliant, OCR audit pending
  • 90-Day Outcome: Remediated 95% of critical gaps, documentation complete
  • Investment: $85,000
  • Result: Passed OCR audit, avoided $100K+ fines

Case Study 3: Financial Services (75 employees)

  • Challenge: Customer breach, needed to rebuild trust
  • 90-Day Outcome: Security overhaul, independent validation
  • Investment: $60,000
  • Result: Retained 90% of customers, rebuilt reputation

Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid

Pitfall #1: Trying to Do Too Much

  • Symptom: Overwhelmed team, nothing completed
  • Solution: Focus on this roadmap, say "no" to nice-to-haves

Pitfall #2: Skipping Documentation

  • Symptom: Controls implemented but can't prove it (audit fail)
  • Solution: Document as you go, not at the end

Pitfall #3: Tools Without Process

  • Symptom: SIEM deployed but no one monitors it
  • Solution: Define processes BEFORE buying tools

Pitfall #4: No Executive Buy-In

  • Symptom: Budget cuts, de-prioritization
  • Solution: Weekly executive updates, show progress

Pitfall #5: Ignoring the Human Element

  • Symptom: Users circumvent controls, shadow IT
  • Solution: User-friendly security, explain "why", involve users

Key Takeaways

✅ 90 days is realistic for foundational security transformation
✅ Focus on basics - they prevent 90% of attacks
✅ Document everything - if it's not written, it doesn't exist
✅ Measure progress - track metrics, show ROI
✅ Continuous improvement - security is a journey, not a destination

Resources & Templates

Free Templates:

Related Guides:

External Resources:

Conclusion

You can transform your organization's security posture in 90 days. This roadmap has been proven by hundreds of organizations from startups to enterprises.

The key: Start today. Day 1 is the hardest. Day 90 will feel like a different company.

Need help? Don't go it alone. Hire consultants for the assessment and IR plan. Use MSSPs for 24/7 monitoring. Focus your team on what only they can do.

Remember: Perfect is the enemy of good. A good security program implemented beats a perfect plan that never launches.

Ready to start your security transformation? Download our IT Security Assessment Template and begin Day 1 today.

Questions? Drop them in the comments or reach out to our team.

Good luck! 🔒🚀

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