3 customisable OKR examples for Security Controls

What are Security Controls OKRs?

The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.

Writing good OKRs can be hard, especially if it's your first time doing it. You'll need to center the focus of your plans around outcomes instead of projects.

We understand that setting OKRs can be challenging, so we have prepared a set of examples tailored for Security Controls. Take a peek at the templates below to find inspiration and kickstart your goal-setting process.

If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read our OKR guide online.

Building your own Security Controls OKRs with AI

While we have some examples available, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. You can use our free AI generator below or our more complete goal-setting system to generate your own OKRs.

Our customisable Security Controls OKRs examples

We've added many examples of Security Controls Objectives and Key Results, but we did not stop there. Understanding the difference between OKRs and projects is important, so we also added examples of strategic initiatives that relate to the OKRs.

Hope you'll find this helpful!

1. OKRs to establish robust security controls for DHS/ATO and NATO contracts

Establish robust security controls for DHS/ATO and NATO contracts
Conduct quarterly maintenance on all the security controls and document findings
Document observations and any maintenance executed
Review all security control systems thoroughly
Perform necessary maintenance on security controls
Implement 5 new security measures aligned with DHS/ATO requirements by a 100%
Identify potential security measures that align with DHS/ATO requirements
Implement and test the newly identified security measures
Review existing security measures for any DHS/ATO non-compliance
Achieve zero security breaches related to the NATO contracts information
Implement strong encryption on all NATO-related digital communication
Train staff in counter-intelligence and data protection practices
Regularly perform rigorous security audits and fix vulnerabilities

Implement this OKR

2. OKRs to integrate security controls into development sprints

Integrate security controls into development sprints
Successfully incorporate security controls into two sprints by end of Week 6
Implement security controls into sprints in Weeks 4-6
Develop detailed security control integration plans by Week 3
Identify security control requirements for both sprints in Week 1
Fully train the team on security control integration by end of Week 3
Provide comprehensive learning materials and resources for the team
Evaluate team members' comprehensive understanding by end of Week 3
Schedule mandatory team training sessions on security control integration
Achieve a decrease in security incidents by 40% by end of Week 9
Implement a comprehensive cybersecurity training program for all employees
Foster a company-wide culture of security vigilance
Upgrade existing security infrastructure and software

security-control development-sprints security-coordinator development-team-lead development-team security-team

Implement this OKR

3. OKRs to implement and maintain SOCII compliance measures

Ensure ongoing SOCII compliance
Conduct regular testing and auditing to assess SOCII compliance status
Train and educate all relevant teams on SOCII compliance regulations and best practices
Monitor and promptly address any SOCII compliance gaps or violations identified
Establish a dedicated team to promptly address and resolve any identified SOCII compliance issues
Implement corrective measures to address identified SOCII compliance gaps promptly
Conduct regular audits to identify any SOCII compliance gaps or violations
Maintain a vigilant monitoring system to detect any new SOCII compliance violations
Implement and maintain necessary controls and processes to meet SOCII requirements
Conduct initial assessment of current controls and processes to identify gaps
Develop and document new controls and processes to fulfill SOCII requirements
Regularly monitor and evaluate controls and processes to ensure ongoing compliance
Train and educate employees on the importance and execution of SOCII controls

socii-compliance information-security-controls compliance-officer it-security-manager compliance-team it-security-team

Implement this OKR

Security Controls OKR best practices to boost success

Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.

Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇

Tip #1: Limit the number of key results

The #1 role of OKRs is to help you and your team focus on what really matters. Business-as-usual activities will still be happening, but you do not need to track your entire roadmap in the OKRs.

We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.

Tability's audit dashboard will highlight opportunities to improve OKRs

Tip #2: Commit to weekly OKR check-ins

Don't fall into the set-and-forget trap. It is important to adopt a weekly check-in process to get the full value of your OKRs and make your strategy agile – otherwise this is nothing more than a reporting exercise.

Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.

Tability's check-ins will save you hours and increase transparency

Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row

Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples above). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.

As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.

Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.

How to turn your Security Controls OKRs in a strategy map

The rules of OKRs are simple. Quarterly OKRs should be tracked weekly, and yearly OKRs should be tracked monthly. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:

It brings the goals back to the top of the mind
It will highlight poorly set OKRs
It will surface execution risks
It improves transparency and accountability

We recommend using a spreadsheet for your first OKRs cycle. You'll need to get familiar with the scoring and tracking first. Then, you can scale your OKRs process by using a proper OKR-tracking tool for it.

Tability's Strategy Map makes it easy to see all your org's OKRs

If you're not yet set on a tool, you can check out the 5 best OKR tracking templates guide to find the best way to monitor progress during the quarter.

More Security Controls OKR templates

We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.

OKRs resources

Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the Objectives and Key Results framework.

To learn: What is the meaning of OKRs
Blog posts: ODT Blog
Success metrics: KPIs examples

What's next? Try Tability's goal-setting AI

You can create an iterate on your OKRs using Tability's unique goal-setting AI.

Watch the demo below, then hop on the platform for a free trial.

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