Over the years, we have recorded several results applying Lean Six Sigma while consulting for small businesses and large corporate organizations.
As a cybersecurity company and a risk consulting firm based in Seattle, we have had the privilege of helping our clients secure their critical data, boost their existing security operation centers’ efficiency, reduce waste, and maximize results. One of the techniques we leverage to achieve this result is the Lean Six Sigma methodology. In this article, we will show you how we apply this technique in optimizing the efficiency of our client’s cybersecurity operations.
Before we proceed, what is Lean Six Sigma, and why are future-thinking cybersecurity service providers prioritizing it?
What is the Lean Six Sigma?
It combines the benefits of both Lean manufacturing techniques and Six Sigma. Lean techniques are techniques and tools for process improvement that eliminate defects or errors from business processes. These techniques focus on the value that the consumer will get from a product. In other words, it only focuses on features that a consumer would pay for. Six Sigma is similar to Lean in that it eliminates defects but takes them to a higher level. It includes a process of steps and has quantified value targets, which could include: reduced process cycle time, reduced costs, reduced pollution, etc.
The Lean Six Sigma is a process for continuous improvement. Managed IT Service Providers can greatly benefit from using this system as it can lead to less maintenance and support for products that have gone through this process.
How we optimized a SOC’s operation using the Lean Six Sigma
Recently, we had the privilege of working with an IT MSP of a large corporation in the United States. Our team of experts conducted a thorough assessment of the SOC’s operation to identify areas of improvement. Our team analyzed the client’s security policies and procedures, technology infrastructures, and incident response protocols to figure out gaps and inefficiencies in the system.
With the data generated from the assessment, Kalles Group created a comprehensive Lean Six Sigma project plan to optimize the client’s SOC operations. The plan prioritized enhancing the client’s incident response times, setting up multiple security tools and customizing the security settings to avoid false positives, and streamlining the technology infrastructure.
Our team executed the project plan by collaborating with the SOC personnel to establish process improvement and new technology solutions, enhance security policies and procedures documentation, and implement new threat detection and incident response tools. Our effort significantly improved the incident response times and reduced false positives by over 50%. Additionally, the SOC streamlined its technology infrastructure, enhancing efficiency and reducing costs.
These are just a few benefits that Lean Six Sigma can offer your MSPs. If you are ready to dive deeper into the coastal waves of Lean Six Sigma and reap the fun that comes with less maintenance and support, join us as we deep-dive into this process improvement methodology.
How to optimize your IT MSP operations with The Lean Six Sigma
Lean Six Sigma is a popular process improvement methodology that can be applied to a wide range of industries and businesses, including IT Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Implementing Lean Six Sigma allows IT MSPs to optimize their operations, improve efficiency, and secure their environment.
Define
Define the project goals and current processes. For IT MSPs, this means identifying the key areas that need improvement, such as service delivery, incident management, and change management. By defining these goals, IT MSPs can better understand their customers and stakeholders’ requirements and expectations and align their processes and services accordingly.
Measure
Measure the current process and collect relevant data. For IT MSPs, this means collecting data on service level agreements (SLAs), customer satisfaction, response times, and other metrics critical to their operations’ success. This step allows IT MSPs to identify areas where they are falling short and where they are excelling.
Analyze
Analyze the data to identify cause-and-effect relationships, determine relationships, and ensure that all factors have been considered. This step is critical for IT MSPs to identify the root cause of issues, and develop effective solutions that address the underlying problems, rather than just the symptoms.
Improve
Improve the process based on data analysis, using techniques like the Design of Experiments. For IT MSPs, this means implementing changes to their processes, tools, and systems to optimize service delivery and support. By continuously improving their processes, IT MSPs can enhance their operations and deliver higher-quality services to their customers.
Control
Control the process to ensure that any deviations from the target are corrected before defects occur. This means setting up control mechanisms for IT MSPs to monitor their environment, including security and compliance measures. By establishing control mechanisms, IT MSPs can prevent security breaches, ensure compliance with industry regulations, and protect their customers’ data and assets.
Now let’s explore applying Lean Six Sigma philosophy to information security operations.
How to apply the Lean Six Sigma to Information Security Operations.
Frederick Scholl, a Senior academician, and an executive and risk manager, in a paper titled ” A Lean Approach to Information Security,” established that Lean is a management philosophy and a toolkit. He explained the Lean concept with Bell and Orzen and reiterated that these principles could be adapted to information security.
Bell and Orzen concisely explain lean concepts, which can be adapted to information security. These principles are:
- Voice of the Customer: The number one principle of lean thinking applies to security processes that cut across the IT department and business operations. Before implementing any security tool or process, it is necessary to understand how it will satisfy the needs of users, executive management, and customers.
- Continuous Improvement: Each Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle should lay the groundwork for the next improvement for individual security processes and the entire security program.
- Proactive Behavior: The security program should prevent major incidents and outages by taking proactive action when small-scale security events are detected.
- Systems Thinking: Relying less on sophisticated architectures and building the best system through constant monitoring and improvement. Real security is achieved through monitoring and improvement.
- The constancy of Purpose: A living security policy document is critical to support the security program. It must reflect how information is handled within the organization and enforced with minimal exceptions.
- Respect for People: Each employee and contractor can do and improve their job and is held accountable.
- Quality at the Source: Doing it right the first time applies to internal security and other business-facing processes.
- Flow, Pull, and Just in Time: A classic lean manufacturing process principle that can be applied to security processes to minimize delays and inaccuracies.
- Culture: Without demonstrated executive support, no security program can be effective. Any true security program must effect a cultural change within the organization.
Lean tools such as Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, PDCA, Standardized Work, and others can be adapted to IT, and information security needs to implement these principles. The security function can utilize the first four principles, while the second five will be most successfully implemented when an IT department adopts the lean approach.
Conclusion
The Lean Six Sigma methodology can significantly impact your cybersecurity operations. Use it to increase revenue, decrease costs, increase employee adoption, and improve customer satisfaction. This methodology can vastly improve your IT Managed Service Providers and Security Operation Centers operations. You can read our customer stories to see how Lean Six Sigma has impacted our client’s operations.
As with any new business improvement process, Lean Six Sigma can take time, training, and resources to implement. Don’t be concerned by these issues – with a little creativity and planning, Lean Six Sigma can revitalize your cybersecurity undertakings.
How could you use Lean Six Sigma to impact your information security team?