View source for Comprehensive Guide to Developing and Implementing a Cybersecurity Plan/Develop and create the cybersecurity plan/Identify key stakeholders

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===5.5	Identify key stakeholders===
[[File:Stakeholder for Software projects.png|right|280px]]
====5.5.1 Determine what internal entities or people may act as cybersecurity stakeholders====
At this point, you've probably already touched upon who's most interested or concerned about how cybersecurity is implemented within your organization. The first two steps of the plan call for defining cybersecurity goals, success, scope, and responsibilities. By extension, internal leadership with a significant stake in cybersecurity success has thus been identified. Additionally, the employees of an organization play an important role in developing or applying policies and procedures that come from your cybersecurity plan. You may have identified even more internal interests who are interested in seeing the plan succeed as well. Be sure at this point those stakeholders have been clearly identified. Also ensure their roles and responsibilities are clearly outlined and disseminated to the appropriate people, which further facilitates improved internal processes, communication, accountability, and preparedness.<ref name="NARUCCyber18">{{cite web |url=https://pubs.naruc.org/pub/8C1D5CDD-A2C8-DA11-6DF8-FCC89B5A3204 |format=PDF |title=Cybersecurity Strategy Development Guide |author=Cadmus Group, LLC |publisher=National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners |date=30 October 2018 |accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref><ref name="LebanidzeGuide11">{{cite web |url=https://www.cooperative.com/programs-services/bts/documents/guide-cybersecurity-mitigation-plan.pdf |format=PDF |title=Guide to Developing a Cyber Security and Risk Mitigation Plan |author=Lebanidze, E. |publisher=National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Cooperative Research Network |date=2011 |accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref>

====5.5.2 Determine what external (federal, state, local, and private) entities the business currently interacts with====
You've also managed to identify what regulations affect your organization's operations, as well as who would be most affected by cybersecurity incidents. This and other areas are where you turn to identify your external stakeholders. While the identities of internal stakeholders are fairly easy to discern, determining external stakeholders can be a bit more challenging, and it will vary slightly depending on the nature of your business. A forensic science laboratory, for example, will have to consider the likes of federal agencies as stakeholders for reporting and accountability of sensitive data, whereas a public library addressing cybersecurity would have quite different external stakeholders. Be sure to look beyond government to software and equipment vendors, customers, and investors.

====5.5.3 Define how those stakeholders shape the cybersecurity plan and its strategic goals====
After identifying the "who," it's time to address the "how." Internal leadership is going to most strongly affect the cybersecurity plan and the organization's cybersecurity goals, and as such, you can readily define their impact. Regulatory bodies also represent clear stakeholder involvement in how policy is shaped, e.g., U.S. businesses handling PHI will need to conform to [[Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act]] (HIPAA) data privacy regulations. How other stakeholders influence the plan and goals may be more difficult due to actual role (the typical employee arguably has only so much control over security) or internal politics (how leadership views investors' role in shaping cybersecurity policy). It may help to organize all stakeholders by their relationship to the cybersecurity effort (primary, secondary, key, etc.) while considering how those stakeholders will inevitably shape policy. The University of Kansas' [https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/encouraging-involvement/identify-stakeholders/main ''Community Tool Box'' Chapter 7, Section 8] may be helpful for better identifying stakeholders and their interests.<ref name="RabinowitzIdent19">{{cite book |url=https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/encouraging-involvement/identify-stakeholders/main |chapter=Chapter 7, Section 8. Identifying and Analyzing Stakeholders and Their Interests |title=Community Tool Box |author=Rabinowitz, P. |publisher=University of Kansas |date=2019 |accessdate=21 March 2023}}</ref>