Proving the Power of IT Security: Using Measurable Outcomes to Show Return on Investment

Welcome to part four of BHS Connect’s five-part series on the ROI of IT security. We’ve covered the benefits of improved efficiency, resilience, and security-driven cultures. Now, we turn to measurement—how organizations can demonstrate the real-world value of their investments through metrics like reduced downtime, faster recovery, and regulatory compliance.

Demonstrating the value of IT security investments requires a strategy that connects with executive leaders, frontline teams, and regulatory bodies alike. Even with years of experience building secure systems, the real challenge often lies in clearly showing their impact. At BHS Connect, we’ve seen the right metrics bridge this gap, turning abstract security efforts into measurable results. These metrics should highlight the returns on investments in technology, process improvements, and staff training, while also tying directly to key goals like enhancing patient trust and satisfaction.
Measurable outcomes matter because they take the guesswork out of  “Why do we need more budget for security?” and turn it into “Here’s what we stand to gain.”

Why Measurement Matters in Security

As the management icon Peter Drucker once said, “What gets measured, gets managed.” When you’re talking with executives about budget allocations, security can sound vague. That’s where measurement steps in. It puts numbers behind phrases like “mature security posture” and “strong defense.” If key metrics improve—fewer breaches, quicker responses, and stronger compliance—you can make a compelling case for continued (or increased) funding.

Another advantage of using hard data is that it frames security not as a technical chore, but as an asset that protects patient trust. When you can point to fewer staff hours spent on incident resolution, or show that security controls preserve public confidence, people see that security fuels both practical and strategic goals.

Essential KPIs for Demonstrating Investment Success

Leading organizations track progress through various metrics including threat incidents, regulatory compliance, and user satisfaction—key areas of importance for all healthcare entities. Here are a few example ones:

• Threat Incidents and Response Times
  Picture a giant filter that catches suspicious activity. If you track how many incidents slip through and how quickly you clean them up, you can show whether your investments are making that filter stronger. Fewer breaches and faster response times equal fewer sleepless nights for leadership and less disruption for everyone else. 
• Time to detect and time to respond are two sub-metrics that reveal agility. If your monitoring systems spot unauthorized access attempts fast, and your security teams shut them down without delay, it’s much easier to justify spending on advanced tools and staff training. 
• Regulatory Compliance Rates
  No healthcare organization wants to be on the wrong side of a regulatory audit. Compliance metrics show how well you stack up against mandates like HIPAA. Leaders want minimal findings and quick fixes. They also want cost-effective compliance. If you can demonstrate that you meet or exceed regulatory demands without inflating your budget, that’s a sign your security program is well managed. 
• Time to Detect and Neutralize Threats
  This is about how quickly your team identifies and eliminates threats. A shorter detection window means attackers have less time to roam through your systems. That protects patient data and limits the fallout when threats emerge. Strong training, real-time alerts, and advanced analytics all improve these metrics, which helps leadership see where their investments are making a difference.

For guidance on how to prioritize and evaluate measures, explore this special publication by NIST.

Quantifiable Improvements in Efficiency

Security isn’t just about stopping attacks. It’s about running a streamlined operation that frees up staff for the tasks that matter most. If you can show that automation or refined processes save hours of manual labor every week, you’ve got a powerful ROI argument. Based on what we’ve seen from leading organizations, the BHS team recommends presenting these metrics when making your case to leadership and/or stakeholders:

• Time Saved on Manual Security Tasks Think of tasks like patch management, log reviews, and compliance reporting. If they’re done by hand, they can eat up time and resources. Automating these processes can cut weekly workloads from 10 hours to 2 hours. Over a year, that’s a huge difference for both the bottom line and staff morale. This also frees your team to pursue strategic projects, such as building proactive threat intelligence programs.
• Reduced Downtime  Every hour a critical system is down can affect patient care and revenue. When you show that new security measures lowered downtime, it’s clear how much you saved in both dollars and goodwill. Fewer incidents plus quicker recovery is a recipe for smoother operations and a stronger reputation.
• Reduced Risk of Breaches Nobody can promise perfect security, but reducing the probability of a breach is a major win. Vulnerability scanning, effective patching, and phishing simulations all help you quantify how much safer your environment has become. Seeing fewer critical vulnerabilities over time or a drop in successful phishing attempts proves that your protective layers are working.

These measurable improvements showcase the value of security investments, emphasizing their positive impact on operational efficiency, staff productivity, and organizational resilience. They provide a strong, practical argument that resonates with both leadership and stakeholders.

Patient Satisfaction as an Outcome of Security

Patients might not obsess over encryption protocols, but they will notice if their data ends up in the wrong hands. Strong security fosters trust, which leads to higher patient satisfaction and better retention. When you measure patient feedback, you can often trace part of their positive experience back to robust data protection. Patient surveys, retention data, and even online reviews can hint at whether security is boosting or weakening trust. While satisfaction depends on many factors, consistent messaging about safeguarding personal information can reassure patients. If retention remains stable or rises during a time of heightened security efforts, that is indirect evidence that what you are doing is working.
Well trained healthcare professionals become ambassadors who put patients at ease about privacy. If staff training includes how to communicate these safeguards, patient confidence grows. You can track this by looking at phishing test results or staff self assessment surveys. If the training is solid, security performance metrics typically go up, which can feed back into patient satisfaction.
Security should support every major goal, from rolling out telemedicine tools to refining analytics for patient care. Demonstrating how robust security drives growth rather than impedes it can transform the discussion from “What will this cost?” to “How can we leverage this foundation for greater success?”

Broadening the Scope with Additional Metrics

At BHS, we’ve seen leading healthcare organizations broaden and strengthen the strategic conversation around IT security by incorporating metrics that go beyond the basics. While metrics like time to detect, reduced incidents, and patient satisfaction are often at the forefront, these additional measurements provide a more comprehensive view of your program’s effectiveness.

One valuable metric is the security awareness score, which tracks the ongoing learning and engagement of all staff members, from physicians to administrators. This score can be calculated by combining phishing test results, awareness training participation, and self-reported knowledge gains. A rising index over time reflects effective training and a positive security culture. Linking this score to incident metrics can validate that increased awareness correlates with fewer compromised accounts, offering strong justification for continued investment in educational programs. For guidance on implementing a measurement framework, read Developing a Cybersecurity Scorecard.

Cost per incident is another critical measure that looks beyond the number of incidents to analyze the resources required to respond. Reductions in these costs demonstrate efficiency gains driven by better infrastructure and processes, which helps support arguments for further strategic investments. Accurate tracking of these costs is essential, as showing that incidents are becoming easier and less expensive to handle reinforces the value of maintaining and expanding security measures. 

An additional layer of insight comes from the results of penetration testing. More than just a regulatory requirement, penetration testing uncovers real-world vulnerabilities. Metrics from these tests reveal how quickly discovered issues are resolved and whether the number of critical vulnerabilities is decreasing over time. A consistent decline in average risk ratings provides clear evidence of an improving security posture. This data is particularly valuable for external auditors or internal stakeholders seeking tangible proof of organizational maturity.

User access auditing metrics also play a vital role. Efficiently managing user permissions prevents unauthorized access incidents. Metrics that track the number of inactive accounts, the speed of access adjustments during personnel changes, and overall control of user access are strong indicators of a robust security program. By correlating these metrics with incident reports, you can show how tighter access management reduces internal risks while also strengthening defenses against external threats. Together, these metrics paint a more detailed picture of IT security’s role in supporting organizational resilience. 

To illustrate the different types of measurement frameworks, the security awareness training company Fortra has produced a great graphic.

Encouraging a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Metrics aren’t static. Threats change, so the way you measure success should change too. A culture of continuous improvement involves reviewing KPIs regularly and realigning them to new realities. It also involves giving everyone a role in security, from the reception desk to the C-suite. When staff members feel a shared sense of responsibility, they become more vigilant, which makes your metrics stronger and your organization safer. 

Reporting Results to Key Stakeholders

Collecting data is only half the battle. You also need to present it in a way that resonates with different audiences. Show them that fewer incidents, stable or increasing patient satisfaction, and stronger compliance show a pattern of continuous progress. This forward-looking view turns security from a reactive measure into a strategic roadmap.

• Executive Dashboards
  These typically show trends in incidents, compliance, or costs. Simple charts can highlight progress over time and tie security improvements to broader financial or strategic outcomes. 
• Frontline Security Personnel
  They need in-depth details. This includes incident response timelines, threat intelligence analysis, and penetration testing results. This level of granularity guides future strategies and pinpoints areas needing extra training or resources.
• Regulatory and Compliance Teams
  These groups are laser-focused on HIPAA alignment and audit findings. They want evidence of consistent compliance, swift remediation, and thorough documentation.
• General Workforce
  They may only want periodic updates on overall improvements, along with simple explanations of why their everyday actions matter. Sharing positive phishing results or downtime reductions can energize them to stay vigilant.

The most impactful metrics paint a story of how security investments benefit the organization over months and years. Once you have the numbers, it’s time to show and tell. Here’s a great resource on how to frame your metrics story and give an effective presentation from Harvard Business Review. For help in creating impact with your visuals, watch David McCandless’s TED Talk, “The Beauty of Data Visualization.”

Final Thoughts

Seasoned security experts already know how critical it is to safeguard sensitive data. Yet, showing the concrete benefits of security efforts can re-energize you and your colleagues. When you can point to fewer breaches, stronger compliance, and higher patient satisfaction, you highlight the very real impact of your work.

Strong security isn’t just a line item on a budget. It’s a foundation that supports patient care and enables organizational goals to flourish. By using data to illustrate how each security dollar elevates the entire operation, you invite stakeholders to join you on a journey toward a more trusted, efficient, and forward-thinking healthcare community.

Next, we’ll elevate the conversation by exploring advanced IT security strategies designed to meet the challenges of modern healthcare. Read it here: Beyond the Basics: Elevating IT Security for Modern Healthcare Organizations

If you missed the previous article in this series, read about how smart investments drive measurable success in Fostering a Security-Driven Culture: How IT Resources Bring Data Protection Efforts Together