December 15, 2023 at 10:06AM
The role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is evolving rapidly. CISOs now need to collaborate across the organization, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and develop storytelling skills. These soft skills are essential for navigating the changing cybersecurity landscape, aligning security strategies with business goals, and justifying security investments to the board.
Based on the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways for the evolving role of chief information security officers (CISOs):
1. The role of CISOs has changed significantly, expanding beyond traditional cybersecurity responsibilities to include close collaboration with the C-suite and providing high-level business strategy related to risk.
2. CISOs need to develop critical soft skills, such as communication, leadership, and emotional intelligence, to bridge the divide between operations and security teams and effectively communicate with stakeholders and the board.
3. Collaboration is essential for CISOs, particularly in light of the new SEC cyber-incident regulations. They must work closely with CFOs and legal departments to ensure clear communication, standards, and collaboration toward business goals while minimizing cybersecurity risks.
4. Effective communication is crucial for CISOs to educate stakeholders on threats, compliance, and risks in a language and metrics they understand, and to tie new security strategies to business goals and budget needs.
5. CISOs need to use storytelling to craft a narrative around how the business is mitigating growing risk, using data and key performance indicators to showcase the effectiveness of existing efforts and present strategies for improvement.
6. CISOs have an opportunity to impact business strategy and change the culture of their organization by leveraging their soft skills to mitigate risk, create operational efficiencies, improve resiliency, and drive business growth.
These takeaways highlight the evolving nature of the CISO role, emphasizing the increasing importance of soft skills in addition to technical expertise.