By: Michael Henry, CEO, Accelerynt
Why the processes you trust may be hiding the friction that’s slowing you down
Most enterprise CISOs lead programs with documented incident response plans. Roles are assigned. Controls are mapped. Tools are integrated with frameworks. On paper, everything looks sound.
But when a real incident unfolds, movement slows. The response playbook that passed the tabletop doesn’t behave the same way under real pressure.
The problem isn’t policy. It’s latency between steps. Not gaps-but drag. And drag doesn’t show up in documentation-it shows up in moments when time matters most.
Why Systems Stall Under Load
We’ve worked with teams that felt confident in their IR posture-until a live scenario forced them to respond at speed. That’s when latency emerges.
An approval sits in a manager’s inbox. A handoff between identity and cloud security creates a delay. A detection alert escalates-then waits-because no one has clear ownership of the next move.
The tools worked. The alert surfaced. But the system didn’t move.
And when minutes pass with no action, the question isn’t “where’s the gap?” It’s “why didn’t we act?”
Operational Drag Is Hard to Measure-Until It’s Expensive
These breakdowns don’t always trigger headlines. But they accumulate into measurable business impact:
- Containment delays
- Extended dwell time
- False sense of system performance
- Analyst burnout from navigating unclear handoffs
- Executive frustration over inconsistent outcomes
Friction compounds quietly. Until it shows up on a board slide, in an audit finding, or after a breach review.
This isn’t about a lack of controls. It’s about systems that can’t move when timing matters.
How Accelerynt Helps Eliminate Friction
Accelerynt works with enterprise CISOs to uncover the slowdowns hiding inside “complete” systems.
We:
- Simulate real-world incidents to reveal how the system performs under pressure
- Measure time-to-own, not just time-to-detect
- Map internal dependencies that delay response
- Automate repetitive bottlenecks to restore movement
You don’t need to start over. You need clarity on what’s slowing you down, and a partner to help you remove it.
Because in an incident, “well-documented” means nothing if your system can’t act.
Talk to an expert to learn more.
Related: You Passed the Test. But Can You Survive the Attack?