- Security that accelerates rather than constrains innovation
- Automated controls that ensure compliance without manual intervention
- Transparent security metrics guiding risk-based decisions
- Engaged teams sharing security responsibility
- Architecture designed for protection without compromising agility
- Strong security foundations that enable continuous compliance
In the process, security teams step out from the enforcement role — like the Queen of Hearts — and into a role more akin to the helpful but unobtrusive Cheshire Cat. By fostering collaboration, contextual guidance, and continuous improvement, you’ll build not just secure technology solutions, but a resilient digital ecosystem that can adapt to tomorrow’s threats.
Key takeaways for technology leaders
- Start with business risk appetite, not just technical controls
- Align security metrics with business outcomes for meaningful insights
- Provide security platforms and patterns that make secure development easy
- Measure what matters — tie security metrics to business impact
- Invest in security capabilities and culture across the organization
- Design for secure evolution using automated compliance and verification
- Continuously share insights and scale successful security patterns
Remember, just as great cities aren’t built in a day, this transformation is a journey rather than a destination. The key is to start now, move purposefully, and keep the focus on enabling business outcomes while ensuring appropriate protection. In doing so, you’ll build not just a secure technology landscape, but a thriving ecosystem that powers your organization’s future success — safely and confidently.
Call to action: Starting your transformation
- Assess your current security integration maturity
- Identify your most pressing security improvement opportunities
- Build a coalition of business, technology, and security leaders
- Choose a high-impact pilot area for initial focus
- Establish clear metrics for measuring security improvement
- Share successes and learnings broadly
- Scale proven patterns across the organization
- Maintain focus on continuous security improvement
Organizations that successfully navigate this transformation will build competitive advantages through faster, more secure software delivery, more efficient use of security investments, improved ability to meet regulatory requirements, enhanced capacity for secure innovation, and greater business-security alignment.
The time to start is now. Your organization’s future security posture depends on the foundations you build today.
Shawn McCarthy is vice president and chief architect, Global Architecture, Risk & Governance, at Manulife.
This article was made possible by our partnership with the IASA Chief Architect Forum. The CAF’s purpose is to test, challenge and support the art and science of Business Technology Architecture and its evolution over time as well as grow the influence and leadership of chief architects both inside and outside the profession. The CAF is a leadership community of the IASA, the leading non-profit professional association for business technology architects.
