What makes this case particularly difficult is that, on the finish of the day, CISOs are nonetheless held accountable for failures. When a breach happens or a vulnerability is uncovered, it’s the CISO who bears the brunt of the blame. They’re anticipated to handle and forestall these incidents, however with out the authority to implement mandatory measures, they’re set as much as fail.
It’s a scenario that few different leaders within the C-suite expertise: a CEO, for instance, sometimes has management over choices associated to the corporate’s strategic route and assets, however CISOs are anticipated to stop breaches with out the identical stage of management. They’ve accountability with out command, a mannequin that doesn’t set anybody up for fulfillment.
This lack of command doesn’t simply have an effect on the group’s security; it additionally impacts the CISO’s relationships, internally and externally. CISOs usually want to have interaction with board members, friends, and stakeholders to elucidate security initiatives, tackle potential threats, and talk about danger mitigation methods.
