Bringing Cybersecurity
Three Steps Left
It’s hard to miss the regular stories of service disruptions and data breaches. Around four in ten UK businesses report a cyber incident each year. Awareness is high, yet many organisations still address security late in the change delivery process. When that happens, small issues can become major problems and delivery slows down.
By shifting attention earlier, projects can move faster with fewer surprises. Teams communicate more openly, decisions are made with confidence, and approval cycles are smoother. The result is less stress and more trust between business and security teams.
The goal is simple: make secure delivery part of normal delivery.
Three Steps Left™
A Mindset for Secure Change
For years, our founder worked within large organisations, helping to turn around change projects that had run into difficulties because of cybersecurity issues. Across industries and countries, the same pattern appeared. Projects were well intentioned but under pressure to deliver. Security was treated as something separate, a gatekeeper that slowed things down.
Each time security was brought into the conversation earlier, the results were smoother. Delivery moved faster, decisions were clearer, and risks were easier to manage. It became clear that the problem was not security itself but when it entered the process.
That realisation led to Three Steps Left™. It captures three recurring anti-patterns that create delivery risk and turns them into opportunities to act earlier. The approach gives change teams a simple, structured way to balance progress and protection without slowing the work.
The Three Steps Left Philosophy
Think Red. Deliver Blue. Shift Left.
Traditional cybersecurity separates those who attack systems from those who defend them. The Three Steps Left philosophy applies these principles to business change.
Red Shift
helps delivery teams think ahead and explore how new features or processes might fail or be exploited.
Blue Shift
focuses on designing for protection, governance, and recovery.
Together, they create a balanced approach that keeps projects practical, defensible, and aligned with business goals.
How It Works
A Structured Pathway to Capability
The Three Steps Left programme is built around clear stages of learning.
Foundation: Builds a shared understanding of cybersecurity and resilience for business change professionals.
Intermediate: Offers five modular courses or a five-day integrated bootcamp preparing learners for the IIBA® Certified in Cybersecurity Analysis (CCA) exam.
Advanced: Explores strategic topics including Zero Trust, AI readiness, and post-quantum resilience.
Each level combines practical tools with real-world examples. The focus is on building capability and confidence that can be applied straight away.
Who It’s For
Business Analysts – embed security within requirements and discovery.
Project Managers – reduce rework and delivery risk.
Service Designers – create experiences that balance usability and protection.
Change Leaders – build resilience into transformation programmes.