The Emergence of the CISO

As statistics for cybercrime surge, it’s important to remember that your organization must do all that it can to protect itself. There is, however, a C-suite position that almost exclusively focuses on this task: the chief information security officer, or CISO. Many enterprises have individuals dedicated to the sole task of securing their organization, but smaller businesses might find themselves lagging behind in this regard due to no fault of their own.

The CISO is a role that is given even higher prominence than in the past due to the immense variety and strength of today’s cybersecurity threats. This is especially true when considering the fact that many employees are still working remotely and away from the security of their in-house network infrastructures. Businesses are willing to invest in a good CISO, and it shows in the price tag associated with the positions.

While the CIO (Chief Information Officer) is typically seen as the one overseeing the general technology strategies within the organization, the CISO is chiefly responsible for the security sub-sector rather than the overall direction of the technology infrastructure. As such, the CISO typically reports to the CIO, but has an entirely different set of responsibilities.

However, the responsibilities of a CISO have shifted in recent years, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the advancement in threats. According to a survey issued by Heidrick & Struggles, CISOs used to “focus on network security, firewalls, security policies and governance,” but “now also find themselves tasked with securing connected devices, devising identity and access management systems, implementing artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as risk management, privacy, investigations and physical security, among other issues.” This change represents a significant change in the thought process surrounding network security. While the traditional network security solutions used to suffice, there is much more at stake, and CISOs must now consider other avenues to protect their organization—solutions that can learn and grow alongside the threats they are supposed to protect against.

Your business does not have to let its budget determine the level of security it can afford. If you work with Preferred, we can help you implement solutions designed to protect your organization at an enterprise level, even if you are only a small business. With our security professionals on your side, you’ll find that you can worry less about security and can focus more on your business’ operations. This way, you can prioritize what your organization does well while leaving the heavy lifting to us.

To learn more about how we can secure your business’ technology infrastructure, reach out to us at 708-781-7110.