5 Tips for Successfully Navigating C-Suite and Board Communication as a CISO

Unable or unwilling to calibrate for important factors like communication, structure, and bias, we remain vulnerable to threats.

Successful CISOs are specific and transparent about what they will do in their role. They reinforce the reality that security is a team sport. These communications and collaborations are far more important than any technology purchase or deployment.

Both Easterly and Zhora stress the importance of communicating cyber risks in a language that resonates with business decision-makers. This enables informed decision-making when allocating resources to cybersecurity initiatives. By aligning cybersecurity efforts with business goals, organizations can view cybersecurity not merely as a constraint, b

Don’t waste your executive leadership team’s time. They usually want to know if you need them to act, so don’t be shy—include a call to action. In my experience, you will be more successful if you have built a trusted relationship and keep cybersecurity simple and understandable for them.

Today’s CISO must set security policy, with almost no authority to enforce it across business units. Moreover, the CISO must act as a diplomat to those business units and serve as explainer-in-chief to more senior executives, as well as the board of directors, many of whom have zero interest in listening to a security briefing.