Evolving The CISO Role

Uploaded on 2025-05-15 in TECHNOLOGY--Resilience, TECHNOLOGY--Developments, FREE TO VIEW

In today's digitally-driven world, the role of the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is more crucial than ever. As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and pervasive, businesses face an urgent need to adapt and fortify their defences.

The modern cyber landscape, characterised by rapid technological advancements and evolving geopolitical tensions, poses significant challenges that extend beyond traditional IT security.

While the UK government is proposing new guidance to protect businesses such as increasing ransomware incident reporting and reducing ransomware payments to criminals, the speed in which these new threats are forming is putting pressure on CISOs to quickly understand, control and protect the digital environment in their organisations. No longer confined to the realm of IT, the modern CISO now must be a pivotal figure in shaping strategic decisions that balance both risk management and commercial impact in order to encourage business resilience.

The introduction of the ‘Cyber Security and Resilience Bill’, which aims to significantly strengthen cyber defences by expanding the scope of existing regulations, has left many CISOs facing a heightened regulatory environment. The increased focus on reporting requirements for companies has placed them under increased scrutiny, with the potential for personal liability in the event of security breaches.

These changes have drastically transformed the responsibilities and role of CISOs. CISOs now stand at the forefront of this battle, tasked with not only safeguarding their organisations' digital assets, but also influencing strategic business decisions. This evolving role demands a blend of technical prowess, strategic insight, and leadership acumen to navigate the complexities of modern cybersecurity threats and ensure organisational resilience in the face of relentless digital adversaries

The Modern Cyber Threat Landscape

Geopolitical conflicts and a changing modus operandi of hackers has created an environment where cyber criminals are more incentivised than ever to attack systems and cause harm, especially around critical national infrastructure. Now driven by financial gain, moving away from political activism, the UK, as one of the world's leading digital economies, is a prime target for these cybercriminals and nation-state actors aiming to exploit vulnerabilities for financial gain, espionage, or disruption with businesses at increased risk.

Cybercriminals are employing effective tactics such as spear phishing, ransomware, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to infiltrate businesses and cause harm, with the use of AI and machine learning further complicating this threat landscape.

More and more, hackers are exploiting AI to find new vulnerabilities in both technical and human environments and are moving fast to make the most of what AI can offer them. These technologies enable the automation of attacks and the creation of more sophisticated malware, making it harder for traditional security measures to detect and neutralise threats. Cybercriminals are able to create vulnerabilities in humans by misrepresenting information and creating much more sophisticated attacks to cause harm and obtain the information they seek.

With the regulation needed to counter this lagging behind, CISOs play a critical role in navigating this AI-driven threat landscape. They must advocate for stronger enforcement of regulations and provide clear guidance to their organisations. However, in order to do so, they need to be able to communicate effectively and build relationships with other members of the C-suite and with different stakeholders.

Emboldening The CISO To Become More Integrated

The traditional responsibilities of a CISO have expanded far beyond the confines of managing IT security. As the cyber threat grows, building cross-functional relationships is crucial. Today’s CISOs must increasingly influence board-level decisions and shape the strategic direction of their organisations in order to foster a culture of cyber resilience.

While CISOs don’t need to be on the board, they do need access to it and a pathway to leadership that enables them to share important issues that have an impact on the business. By collaborating closely with top executives, they can ensure that cybersecurity is integrated into business strategies, aligning security objectives with organisational goals. Regular communication between CISOs and the C-suite enhances awareness of potential vulnerabilities which enables the C-suite to make informed decisions about risk management and resource allocation, promoting a proactive approach to cyber threats. However, CISOs must possess the moral courage to speak truth to power. Their message is often unwelcome, especially when they call for increased investment or greater control. In these high-pressure moments, it is crucial for them to stand firm, maintaining strength in the face of rejection that frequently follows.

Cyber security cannot exist in a silo and CISOs who operate in transparent, well-structured organisations like this are better equipped to make the right business decisions concerning key security questions. However, in reality, many organisations are more rigid and conservative, often paying lip-service to security and ‘cyber-washing’, raising the chance of conflict between the C-suite and CISOs. CISOs need to know when to stand their ground on certain decisions, especially when they are important for the business, such as investments into better security, be it people or technology.

This shift requires CISOs to balance risk management with commercial impact, ensuring that security measures align with business objectives. This means they have to master core skills and knowledge in areas such as commercial impact, market knowledge and understanding what creates value for the business as a whole beyond just the technical aspects. Modern day CISOs also need to be outward looking, master creativity for problem solving and shift from the traditional introverted role towards a more extroverted one. They have to influence people, not just machines. This also reflects the team they build to ensure people working for them have a broader set of capabilities.

Building A Team Around The CISO’s Skillset

As cyber threats grow more creative, so must the teams led by CISOs. Security teams require a diverse set of skills, including problem-solving, strategic thinking, and creativity, alongside technical expertise. Unlike influencing machines, influencing people requires a distinct set of skills, necessitating a balance of soft and hard skills within security teams.

As the role of the CISO evolves from a primarily infosecurity and technical focus to encompass more commercial and risk-based responsibilities, they must acknowledge that they can't be all things to all people.

In doing so, they can focus on identifying their own strengths and weaknesses which will allow them to build a well-rounded team. Creativity has become a critical component of what's needed. Hackers are increasingly creative, devising new methods to infiltrate and attack organisations. To counteract these threats and rising security challenges, CISOs must build teams that include creative thinkers. Security problem-solving demands more than linear thinking; creativity is vital in addressing and overcoming the growing array of security threats.

As the digital world continues to evolve, the role of the CISO is more critical than ever. By embracing this expanded role, CISOs can drive transformative change and ensure both security and sustainable business success in a dynamic threat landscape.

As businesses navigate this complex environment, the CISO's ability to influence and lead will be pivotal in shaping a resilient and secure future.

Joe Hubback is CISO and Partner at Elixirr

Image: fauxels

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