As the Brand Grew, So Did the Risk. A Security Plan Was Needed Before It Was Too Late.
The craft brewery's profile had grown considerably, owing to nationwide popularity of its products. A second facility was under development. Distributor relationships were expanding. The digital footprint was larger than it had ever been. And information security had not kept pace.
Industry: Craft Brewery
Size: ~500 Employees; in the top 5 craft brewers by volume
Ownership: Private
Business Challenge
No formal security policies were in place. An external security assessment had not been conducted in years. Tools for threat detection and data loss prevention were either missing or outdated. With PCI compliance requirements tied to retail operations, growing exposure to potential data breaches, and an expanding roster of third-party vendor relationships, the risk to the business was higher than most of the leadership team realized. Specific concerns included:
No formal information security policies covering incident response, data handling, or acceptable use beyond basics
Threat detection and data loss prevention tools either absent or no longer sufficient against current standards
Third-party vendor interactions with undefined security requirements and no formal risk assessment process
Physical security controls not evaluated alongside technical controls, leaving gaps in the overall risk picture
PCI compliance exposure tied to retail operations requiring structured attention
Our Approach & Solution
CIO Source conducted a structured Information Security Risk Assessment covering IT infrastructure, IT processes, IT policies, physical security, and third-party vendor interactions. A principal security consultant led the engagement with senior IT executive advisory support.
The assessment evaluated current security maturity against expected maturity levels across all major security domains. Critical risk areas were identified and quantified. Deliverables included an executive summary for leadership, a detailed risk assessment document with maturity model scoring by security area, and a prioritized remediation roadmap calibrated to the company's size, culture, and risk appetite.
Business Results & Outcomes
Security gaps across infrastructure, policy, and vendor management were documented and ranked before a breach or compliance event forced the issue
Leadership received a maturity model showing current versus expected state across all security domains, creating a clear accountability framework for investment decisions
A prioritized remediation plan provided a practical path forward the company could execute with existing team and budget, without requiring a full security function buildout
Physical security and third-party risk were assessed alongside technical controls, providing a more complete picture of exposure than a technology-only review would have produced
Executive Takeaway
Growth creates security risk whether or not anyone is paying attention to it. CIO Source gave this company a rigorous, honest accounting of where it stood and what needed to change, before the exposure became a liability.