Bridging the gap: how ITSM and cybersecurity work together

Businesses nowadays are more connected than ever before. And with that connectivity comes a growing need to safely manage IT services by ensuring strong cybersecurity measures are in place.

IT Service Management (ITSM) and cybersecurity might seem like separate domains at first glance, but in reality, they are deeply intertwined. By understanding how these two areas overlap and complement each other, organizations can improve their security while keeping their service delivery on track.

In this blog, we’ll break down what ITSM and cybersecurity are, explore the ways they intersect, and give practical tips.

What is IT Service Management?

Let’s start with the basics: what exactly is IT Service Management?

IT Service Management, or ITSM, is all about managing and delivering IT services in the most efficient way possible. Think of it as the behind-the-scenes operations that ensure your company’s IT infrastructure runs like a well-oiled machine. Whether it’s resolving issues quickly, implementing new technologies without a hitch, or keeping systems up and running, ITSM is at the heart of it all.

Key ITSM processes are:

Incident Management: This is your first responder in the IT world. When something goes wrong—like a server crashing or a critical application going down—Incident Management is the process that kicks in to fix it fast and get everything back on track.

IT Change Management: IT Change Management ensures that changes to your IT environment—whether it’s a software update or a new piece of hardware—are rolled out smoothly, without causing disruptions or introducing new vulnerabilities.

IT Asset Management: IT Asset Management is all about keeping track of your organization’s IT resources, like hardware, software, and other tools. It helps ensure that everything is properly accounted for, up-to-date, and being used efficiently and securely.

Problem Management: While Incident Management is about putting out fires, Problem Management digs deeper to find out what’s causing those fires in the first place. It’s about identifying root causes and making sure those same issues don’t keep popping up.

The goals of ITSM are clear: improve your service delivery, meet your customer's needs and keep the business running. When ITSM is done right, your IT department isn’t just keeping the lights on—they’re actively contributing to your company’s success.

What is cybersecurity?

Now, let’s shift gears and talk about cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is all about protecting your digital assets from threats. In a world where data breaches and cyberattacks are not only common but also increasingly effective, cybersecurity measures are critical for safeguarding your systems, networks, and sensitive information from unauthorized access, damage, or theft. For instance, cloud environment intrusions have surged by 75% over the past year, highlighting just how critical it is to have strong defenses in place.

Key elements of cybersecurity include:

Threat prevention: This is the proactive side of cybersecurity, where measures like firewalls, antivirus software, and secure coding practices are used to keep attackers at bay.

Detection: Despite the best prevention efforts, threats can slip through. Detection involves using tools like intrusion detection systems (IDS) to spot potential threats and respond to them quickly.

Response: When a security incident does occur, how your organization responds is crucial. This includes having an incident response plan in place to mitigate damage, contain the threat, and get back to normal operations as quickly as possible.

Recovery: After an incident, the focus shifts to recovery—restoring data, repairing systems, and learning from the event to strengthen future defenses. This often involves backups, disaster recovery plans, and post-incident reviews.

Common cybersecurity issues and concepts

Before we dive into how ITSM and cybersecurity intersect, it’s worth looking at some common cybersecurity challenges that many organizations face:

1. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

With more employees using their personal devices for work, BYOD has become a common practice. While it offers flexibility, it also introduces significant risks, such as data breaches and difficulties in managing those devices. The solution? Implementing secure access controls and Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems that ensure personal devices are used safely within the corporate environment.

2. Shadow IT

Shadow IT refers to the use of unauthorized applications and services within an organization—often without the knowledge or approval of the IT department. While employees might turn to these tools to get more work done in less time, they can also create security gaps. The key to managing shadow IT is clear policies and the use of discovery tools that help monitor and control unauthorized technology use.

3. Remote working

Remote work is here for the long run, but it brings its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to cybersecurity. Ensuring secure connections and protecting data in remote environments is critical. Strategies like using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), enforcing strong authentication methods, and securing remote access are essential in safeguarding your organization’s data when employees work from outside the office.

4. Incident response plans

Having a well-defined incident response plan is vital for quickly addressing and mitigating security breaches. This plan should outline clear roles and responsibilities, communication strategies, and recovery procedures to ensure your organization can handle incidents efficiently and minimize damage.

5. Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring multiple forms of verification before granting access to sensitive systems or data. Integrating MFA into your access control systems can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

The intersection of ITSM and cybersecurity

At first glance, ITSM and cybersecurity might seem like two separate worlds. However, when you look closer, you’ll see they have several touchpoints where they overlap, making it essential for organizations to integrate the two.

1. Managing incidents

One of the key areas where ITSM and cybersecurity intersect is Incident Management. ITSM Incident Management focuses on resolving service issues, like system outages or software bugs, while cybersecurity incident management deals with responding to security breaches, like hacking attempts. By coordinating these two processes, organizations can handle security incidents more thoroughly. This ensures that both service disruptions are minimized and security threats are addressed quickly.

2. Processing changes

IT Change Management is another area where ITSM and cybersecurity need to work hand-in-hand. Any change in the IT environment—whether it’s a software update, hardware replacement, or new system implementation—can introduce new security vulnerabilities. By integrating security considerations into the IT Change Management process, organizations can prevent potential security risks from slipping through the cracks.

3. Dealing with risks

Both ITSM and cybersecurity involve risk management, though they approach it from slightly different angles. ITSM looks at risks related to service delivery and operational stability, while cybersecurity focuses on risks related to data breaches and cyberattacks. By combining these perspectives, organizations can create a more extensive risk management strategy that addresses both service-related and security-related risks.

4. Overview of your assets

IT Asset Management plays a crucial role in both ITSM and cybersecurity. On the ITSM side, it helps keep track of all the devices, software, and resources that an organization uses. From a cybersecurity perspective, this visibility is essential for identifying risks, such as outdated software or devices that haven’t been patched. By integrating IT Asset Management into both ITSM and cybersecurity strategies, it's easier for organizations to monitor their infrastructure, enforce security policies, and quickly respond to threats.

How to integrate ITSM and cybersecurity

So, how can you effectively integrate ITSM and cybersecurity in your organization? Here are some practical tips:

1. Use unified frameworks

One way to integrate ITSM and cybersecurity is by using unified frameworks like ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library). ITIL is a widely adopted framework for ITSM that includes built-in security controls, making it easier to align ITSM processes with cybersecurity requirements.

2. Develop integrated response plans

Developing integrated response plans that address both service and security incidents is another key strategy. An ITSM tool can help you track and manage security-related incidents, keeping both IT and security teams on the same page when it comes to handling incidents and resolving underlying problems.

3. Incorporate security into IT Change Management

To prevent vulnerabilities from being introduced during changes, it’s important to incorporate security assessments and approvals into your IT Change Management process. This means involving security teams in the planning and approval stages of any change, ensuring that security risks are considered and mitigated before changes are implemented.

4. Embrace continuous improvement

Finally, continual improvement is critical to keeping both ITSM and cybersecurity processes effective. By using feedback from incidents—whether they’re service-related or security-related—organizations can refine and improve their processes. Regularly reviewing and updating policies to adapt to new threats and operational changes will help keep your IT environment secure.

ITSM and cybersecurity: better together

In today’s digital landscape, aligning ITSM and cybersecurity efforts is not just a good idea—it’s essential. By understanding the relationship between these two areas and implementing strategies to integrate them effectively, organizations can strengthen their security defenses while also improving service delivery and operational stability.

ITSM and cybersecurity aren’t just complementary—they’re two sides of the same coin. When the two work together well, your organization is better equipped to handle whatever challenges the digital world throws your way.

Want to know more about what possible cybersecurity threats are lurking around the corner? Check out our guide to minimizing cybersecurity issues for an in-depth look! We cover some of the most common threats and share tips on how your organization can stay ahead and be prepared.