March 4, 2024 at 10:08AM
CEOs and their CISOs should be natural partners in combating cyber threats, but only 30% of CISOs feel supported by their CEO, leading to high work-related stress and turnover. To support their CISOs, CEOs should ensure direct communication, empower their CISOs, collaborate on resilience strategy, and agree on AI’s impact, ultimately benefiting their companies.
Based on the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways and action points:
1. CEOs and CISOs should be natural partners due to the increasing importance of cybersecurity. However, only 30% of CISOs feel they receive sufficient support from their CEOs.
2. CEOs can help by ensuring the CISO has a direct line to the CEO, thereby providing strong control over the cybersecurity program, funding for security initiatives, and increased awareness of cybersecurity responsibilities company-wide.
3. Supportive CEOs empower the CISO to lead and execute the cybersecurity mission, provide resources, and are empathetic about the challenges of the job.
4. CEOs need to work with the CISO on a resilience strategy. It’s important to shift the focus from just prevention to resilience, to protect critical data, limit the impact of attacks, and keep the business running.
5. CEOs and CISOs should agree on the impact of AI, as it is becoming a necessary tool for both attackers and defenders. CEOs can help in arbitrating disputes regarding the use of AI that may impact security.
These takeaways highlight the importance of supportive partnerships between CEOs and CISOs, particularly in the context of the growing cyber threats and stressors faced by cybersecurity leaders. Implementing these action points can greatly benefit the companies by ensuring a strong and stable cybersecurity leadership.