IT Acquisitions from the Risk Manager’s Perspective Jeffrey Posluns, CRMP,CGEIT, CISM, CISSP-ISSMP Chairman Governance Risk Compliance Security International tel: +1 (514) Moderator: Eric Green, Program Director, SC World Congress

Mergers & Acquisitions Whether an organization is integrating another into the fold or simply acquiring something new, there are a series of considerations to be made throughout the process in order to assure that its assets are protected appropriately.

Risk Management In order for a risk to exist, there must be a threat with an impact, and a likelihood of occurrence. There are multiple perspectives that can apply to any situation: Management IT personnel Security personnel Risk managers Users

Risks: People The greatest risks to information assets are related to the people that are involved. Lack of skills or knowledge Entrenched personnel Overlapping responsibilities Job insecurity Culture integration Power struggles & sabotage Training requirements (budget / time)

Risks: Process & Procedure Methodology Documentation Support process Service Level Agreements (SLAs) Change control Backups Disaster recovery

Risks: Suppliers Purchase agreements Cancellation clauses & penalties Support agreements Overlapping service levels Consolidating equipment Incompatible products Sales personnel territorial dispute

Risks: Administration Management suites and tools Version and patch management Change control Chain of command Organization chart incompatibility Who does IT report to?

Risks: Hardware & Software Incompatible proprietary applications Incompatible versions of similar software Lifecycle management Development Quality Assurance Pre-Production Production Decisions on which products to keep

Risks: Security Security tools Management suits Reporting Event management Incident response Controls and measures

Risks: Security Security tools Management suits Reporting Event management Incident response Controls and measures

Summary Acquiring a new product, service, or integrating an entire IT department though a merger or acquisition requires more time, effort and money than is commonly expected. A risk based approach will assist in the decision making process and reduce the likelihood that challenges will arise throughout.

IT Acquisitions from the Risk Manager’s Perspective Jeffrey Posluns, CRMP,CGEIT, CISM, CISSP-ISSMP Chairman Governance Risk Compliance Security International tel: +1 (514) Moderator: Eric Green