131 - Framing Executive Discussions

As Tim Chase, Global Field CISO, mentioned in his recent blog, one of the most common pitfalls security leaders face when presenting to a board is failure to tailor your security message to your audience.

CFOs understand risk and tradeoffs well, so present your security plan in that light. Rank your risk areas and clearly (in a non-jargon way) explain the impact of the risk area on the company, the coverage, and how the investment will help mitigate the risk.

I had a client whose maturity scores didn’t improve over a 3-year period. If data was all that was presented this could easily be interpreted as a failure of progress. But when they focused the narrative around the successful integration of the multiple acquisitions they had over the past few years, the focus shifted to the successful expansion of