Security Budgeting: Making the Business Case for 2026

Getting approval for additional security funding always seems like a tough challenge each year.  Finance demands concrete figures, leadership seeks firm assurances, and you find yourself having to justify the value of investing in initiatives that primarily aim to stop negative outcomes before they occur.

As you prepare for 2026 budget discussions, consider these strategies to effectively present your case to decision-makers.

Start with Their Language, Not Yours

Executives typically focus on core business priorities such as revenue, reputation, and risk, rather than technical concepts like zero-day vulnerabilities or endpoint detection response.

Rather than requesting a new SIEM, highlight impact: “Detection currently takes 12 hours, risking $4 million in losses. With this investment, detection drops below one hour.”

Notice the shift—now you’re focusing on business impact, not technical details.

Show Them What Keeps You Up at Night

Decision-makers need to see real scenarios. Explain the impact of events like ransomware shutting down operations, data breaches leading to fines and lawsuits, or supply chain compromises eroding trust. Reference industry examples: Target’s breach led to an $18.5 million settlement, and Colonial Pipeline’s outage caused fuel shortages on the East Coast. This is meant as a straightforward assessment, rather than an attempt to frighten anyone.

Connect the Dots to Business Goals

The Chief Financial Officer is concerned with the success of the new product launch. The Chief Executive Officer is focused on expanding into additional markets. The board of directors is attentive to competitive positioning.

It is important to align security requirements with these strategic objectives:

• “Our entry into the healthcare sector entails managing sensitive patient data. Without robust security infrastructure, we would fail compliance audits, thereby jeopardizing our overall growth plans.”
• The new mobile app launch requires robust API security. A breach within the first six months could undermine the customer trust established through significant marketing investment.”

Use the 1% Rule as Your Starting Point

A practical guideline is that most organizations are advised to allocate approximately 3-8% of their IT budget to security, with the exact percentage varying according to industry standards and individual risk assessments. Organizations allocating less than 3% may wish to reassess their spending priorities. Entities within financial services, healthcare, or government sectors generally require investment at the higher end of this range.

Build in Flexibility

Rigid budgets are increasingly viewed as less effective. It may be beneficial to recommend a tiered budgeting model:

Baseline (Must-Have): Allocations for critical infrastructure, compliance obligations, and essential threat detection

Growth (Should-Have): Increased resources for enhanced monitoring, comprehensive security training, and improvements to incident response

Optimal (Nice-to-Have): Investment in advanced threat hunting capabilities, security automation solutions, and pilot programs for emerging technologies

This approach provides leadership with clear options while demonstrating an understanding of budgetary limitations.

Quantify Your Wins

Mention specific achievements (e.g., blocked 10,000 phishing attempts or saved money by preventing ransomware). Summarize on a single page:

• Incidents prevented
• Average industry cost per incident
• Estimated value added
• Current gaps and potential costs

Address the “But We Haven’t Been Breached” Argument

When you hear this, respond:

“Our current investments helped us face old threats, but attacks today are more advanced. We’re prepared for yesterday, not tomorrow.”

Or use this analogy: “No fires yet, but we still need to maintain sprinklers and check extinguishers.”

Make It About Enabling Business, Not Just Preventing Bad Things

Security should not be perceived as an obstacle within the organization. Present your budget request as an enabler of the following:

• Accelerated and secure product launches
• Informed entry into new markets
• Enhanced competitiveness in security-focused sectors
• Strengthened customer trust that promotes long-term retention

The Bottom Line

Securing budget approval involves more than presenting a compelling technical rationale; it requires effectively communicating security needs in terms of business outcomes relevant to stakeholders.

When attending a budget meeting, present clear data, illustrative scenarios, and demonstrate how your requests directly align with organisational objectives. Articulate an understanding of stakeholder priorities by using terminology that resonates with them.

It is important to convey that you are not merely requesting funds for tools, but advocating for investment in the protection of assets critical to the enterprise’s achievements. This approach substantiates the value of your proposal.

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