Cybersecurity often lives in the shadows of corporate strategy, treated as a necessary expense rather than a business enabler. However, proper alignment between security initiatives and business goals remains elusive for many organizations. Maman Ibrahim, cyber and digital risk executive, principal at Eugene Zonda, and founder of Ginkgo Resilience LTD, brings over two decades of experience translating complex risk data into actionable business insights. His mission: shift cybersecurity from a cost center to a driver of strategic value.
Turning Technical Signals into Business Intelligence
Most companies gather mountains of security data without truly understanding what it means for the business. Maman sees this disconnect as a missed opportunity for competitive advantage. “Organizations generate signals like threat data, anomaly reports, and telemetry. However, not every organization knows what those signals mean for its bottom line,” Maman explains.
The problem isn’t data collection, it’s insight extraction. “The key is transforming that data into insight: What behavior is changing? What risks are emerging? How do they impact revenue, operations, or reputation?” Organizations can make smarter decisions by turning raw technical data into meaningful business intelligence. Many security teams focus solely on threats and vulnerabilities, without connecting them to financial or operational outcomes. Maman argues for a more integrated perspective: “Cybersecurity done right is not just protection; it’s a growth enabler. It informs decisions, builds trust, and protects what matters most.”
Speaking the Language of Business Leaders
One of the biggest barriers to aligning security and strategy is communication. Security professionals often use technical jargon that fails to resonate with business leaders. Maman sees this as a critical failure.”You can say, ‘We’re strengthening SOAR integrations to reduce threat dwell time.’ But the CFO hears, ‘We’re spending more money,'” he says. To gain executive buy-in, cybersecurity must be framed in terms of business impact: “To align with business goals, frame cybersecurity in terms of business outcomes: ‘We’re reducing risk to revenue.’ ‘We’re preventing customer churn.’ ‘We’re protecting uptime and reputation.'”
What executives want are results, not technical implementation details. Maman urges security leaders to address each department’s priorities in business terms.” Money talks. Ask any CFO watching the bottom line. Legal is sweating over potential lawsuits down the hall while the marketing folks guard your reputation like a precious family heirloom.”He encourages security professionals to ask strategic questions: “Did we reduce the time-to-market by embedding security early when building our software solutions? Did our third-party risk efforts prevent delays in onboarding critical vendors? Are we protecting the top 10% of systems that generate 90% of revenue? Can we quantify cyber risk in financial terms that CFOs and CROs respect?”
Building Security into Company Culture
Security doesn’t work without people. Maman believes culture, not just tools or policies, is the true foundation of effective cybersecurity. “You can have the best tools, policies, and frameworks, but if no one follows them, they’re just shelfware,” he notes. Too often, security programs are designed in isolation, then imposed on the workforce. Maman promotes co-creation instead. “The real magic happens when security is co-designed with the teams living it daily. That means understanding local context, business workflow, and what motivates people, not just what regulates them. “By aligning security with business operations and values, organizations build true resilience.”Resilience isn’t built in the SOC. It’s built into the culture.”
Security as a Business Enabler
When appropriately integrated, cybersecurity can become a powerful competitive advantage. Maman’s approach rests on three core principles:
“If you want your cyber strategy to move the needle: Use insight to guide direction. Speak the language of business. Design security with people, not just for them. “With these principles, security evolves from a reactive cost center into a proactive enabler of business success.”A great business strategy deserves trusted cyber insight,” Maman concludes.
Connect with Maman Ibrahim on LinkedIn to learn how strategic cybersecurity can fuel business growth.
