Rethinking Compliance as a Strategic Advantage in 2025

When it comes to cybersecurity and compliance, many organizations still fall into the same trap: they chase certifications like SOC 2 or ISO‑27001 as a way to “prove” they’re secure, without actually being secure.

It’s a check-the-box mentality.

It may satisfy auditors or procurement teams, but ultimately does little to defend against emerging threats. In a recent episode of the 909Exec Podcast, Den Jones and Aaron Wurthmann dug into this very issue. Their discussion, titled “Rethinking Compliance in 2025,” called for a fundamental shift in how we approach compliance—not as an end goal, but as a strategic lever for business enablement.

And frankly, they’re right.

Compliance ≠ Security

Let’s start with the obvious: compliance is not the same thing as security.

I have been beating that same drum for well over a decade. If you focus on security, there is a good chance you will also be compliant. But, if you focus on checking boxes for compliance, there is little to no chance that you will actually be secure.

That statement shouldn’t be controversial, but it’s amazing how many organizations still operate under the assumption that passing an audit or obtaining a certification means their environments are locked down. Jones and Wurthmann emphasized that threat actors don’t care whether your SOC 2 report is polished—they exploit weak links in your actual infrastructure, not your paperwork.

This is where the checkbox approach falls short. It encourages organizations to do the minimum necessary to meet a standard, often creating blind spots that real-world attackers are more than happy to exploit.

Timing Is Everything

So when should you pursue a compliance framework like SOC 2 or ISO‑27001?

The answer: when it aligns with your business strategy.

As Wurthmann put it, a SOC 2 audit can cost upwards of $30,000 to $40,000. That’s not pocket change—especially for startups or small to midsize businesses. If that certification doesn’t unlock revenue or help close deals, it may not be the right investment—at least not yet.

Instead, tie compliance efforts to business goals. Are your enterprise customers demanding certain standards? Is there a market opportunity you can only tap into by demonstrating adherence to ISO controls? If the answer is yes, then certification becomes a growth enabler—not just a sunk cost.

A Roadmap Rooted in Risk

One of the more pragmatic takeaways from the discussion was the idea of building a compliance roadmap the same way you’d build a product roadmap: with clear priorities, milestones, and sequencing based on impact.

Don’t try to do everything at once. Start with what’s most critical based on your threat model and regulatory exposure. Then, layer in other frameworks as your business matures.

This risk-first approach ensures that your compliance investments don’t just check a box—they reduce actual risk, improve posture, and support long-term resilience.

Make It Frictionless

Another smart angle from the conversation: security doesn’t have to be painful.

Too often, compliance initiatives become bureaucratic nightmares—introducing friction for developers, slowing down deployment cycles, or creating walls between security and the rest of the organization. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Jones advocated for lightweight, effective controls that embed security into business workflows. Think “compliance by design” instead of compliance by audit. The goal isn’t to add more process for the sake of process—it’s to build a foundation that supports velocity and trust.

Culture Over Certification

Finally, perhaps the most important message was this: lasting security doesn’t come from passing an audit. It comes from building a culture of governance, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Certifications expire. Attack surfaces evolve. Threat actors adapt. The organizations that succeed in this environment are the ones that treat compliance not as a destination but as an ongoing commitment.

That means training. It means metrics. And it means leadership that sees security as part of the business—not a blocker to it.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line?

Whether you’re a startup deciding when to pursue SOC 2, or a global enterprise managing dozens of frameworks, the principles remain the same: align compliance with business value, reduce friction, and build a roadmap that evolves with your risks.

Security and compliance don’t have to be at odds. But if we keep treating them like interchangeable terms, we’ll continue to miss the point—and the opportunity.