Unisys' Director of Corporate Security Eileen Wieber is an ISMA member, and a security director for Fortune 1000-level corporation. She's currently facing issues of crisis management in our challenging times, and working on creating enterprise-wide security for the company. She recently shared her thoughts on security with SecurityInfoWatch.com as part of a new series, At the Frontline, that interviews senior level security directors.

SIW: Budgets for corporate security programs are often seen as a cost center rather than an investment. How do you balance spending on security with showing a return on investment to your company executives?

Wieber: The true balance that I see is cost versus risk, or risk management. With each expenditure on security-related assets, whether they are people or equipment, we must always weigh the cost of the asset versus the risk of not making the expenditure. I believe that's where security professionals can truly add value, with their ability to effectively make that assessment. In my opinion, security will always be considered a cost center to some degree, until a major incident occurs internally that affects the company. We have been able to show some ROI in utilizing technology versus labor costs. As technology becomes more prevalent in the security world, we certainly can calculate some ROI, but basically against labor costs.

SIW: What are some tips you've learned over the years about proving value of security investments to corporate executives?

Wieber: Some have used the formalization and standardization of our security and safety programs to realize reductions in our insurance premiums. It's difficult to "prove" anything as far as value. We have been able to show the value of security investments as it may affect the bottom line in dollars, such as insurance, business continuity and emergency preparedness. Other things are difficult to prove the value of until an incident occurs, and then we can say we're glad we made that investment.

SIW: You're currently beginning work on a series for Security Technology & Design magazine about women in the security industry. Can you provide us a glimpse into your own experiences as a woman in a top security position?