Having a CISO is critical to an organization. Here’s why

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest, most complex, and fastest evolving areas of IT in just about every industry imaginable. Threats to the security of data are ever-increasing; with the sophistication of today’s cyber-attacks, organizations continue to struggle with the changing security landscape and trying to see the big picture overall.

The CISO position is to balance the existing risk with the complexity of today’s challenges. An effective CISO must understand the big picture and find new, integral ways to identify the new risk as well as incorporate technology schemes. This is to guard against these ever-evolving threats. Seems easy, right? Wrong. It’s only easy until the vulnerability is unleashed and can be exploded into the wild.

The CISO must be able to work with various departments within any organization to strategize the innovation of ideas and outline policy objectives to stakeholders. This would lead to future protection against uncommon or new threats that may currently be unforeseen. With the sophistication of ongoing attacks ever-changing, the CISO faces a daunting task and must be able to communicate effectively both internal and external risk factors. They must also be able to relay a clear, concise message to all relevant parties involved.

As more and more companies are looking to expand their operations within cloud-based services, the need for a CISO role within that organization becomes vitally important to protect the data properly at all costs. Companies that typically do not have a CISO have and will continue to meet unforeseen challenges that can be devastating to the reputation of the company. Having this capable CISO is also vital to the integrity of the data.

If you think the role of a CISO is easy, think again. The CISO is often pulled in many different directions on an hourly basis. They must be a quick thinker who can strategize as well as delegate proper work assignments to relevant personnel within any given moment. Often, CISOs have very little warning of what they’re about to face. However, there’s little sympathy in this area when the company’s data could be potentially compromised and the CISO must answer to its stakeholders.

As technology, cyber-attacks, and various privacy issues become more complex, the CISO must have advanced knowledge of regulations involving data privacy. They must also be skilled technically to think in a proactive stance, always. Often, CISOs must and should report regularly to the board of directors to keep them informed of developments across the spectrum within the company’s infrastructure environment. Over time, it can be a daunting task for the organization to be prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead of them.

In closing, many companies that don’t have a CISO should quickly rethink this business structure. They should also work with their company’s executives to ensure a CISO is brought in to meet today’s challenges. Organizations must allow the CISO to construct a road map with a proper budget and prioritize initiatives. For small- and medium-sized businesses, this may not be feasible due to budget constraints. However, these same companies must consider the criticality of their data being hacked, and the consequences that result from this. Hiring a vCISO could help with the cost associated with a full-time CISO and still give the smaller/medium-sized companies confidence that their data is being watched over as well.