How does the chief information security officer discuss network security with the enterprise board of directors

The recent high-profile cyber attacks should be enough to warn enterprises to act quickly , A report from Deloitte, a research firm, shows that , The network security budget accounts for the whole enterprise IT Budgeted 10% above . If you don't have the right resources , The chief information security officer cannot effectively protect the enterprise from threats —— But when the enterprise is attacked , Chief information security officers are often the first to be blamed .

The chief information security officer needs the assets to do his job correctly , Need to invest time in network security 、 Attention and money . Here are some useful ways for the chief information security officer to discuss network security with enterprise executives and board members .

Work your way

As a new role in the enterprise , The chief information security officer may not be understood by the enterprise leadership team , It may not have a place in the management of the enterprise . Some chief information security officers may also be led by the chief information officer, the chief technology officer, and others IT Leader management , It is therefore difficult to build trust between other executives and board members . Even if the employee has a good relationship with his supervisor , Some information may change as it passes through the chain of command .

Of course, there are other ways to express . One way is to start building good communication with other leaders . The chief information security officer can try to meet with enterprise shareholders one-on-one , Share ideas 、 Have informal conversations or find allies .

Many enterprises usually encourage this type of meeting . When team members want the CIO to come up with ideas , They need to be willing to listen , Whatever their position and title . If they come up with some good ideas , Usually think about it carefully , If employees come up with convincing ideas , May follow up . Building this trust allows the CIO to present these ideas to the corporate board , Even let employees explain their ideas .

Collect and summarize information

When you have the opportunity to talk to executives , There is usually not much time to discuss the details . To be frank , in any case , This is not what executives want . It is very important to have a cyber security dialogue in a way that resonates with business leaders .

Information transmission starts with understanding the priorities of the company's executives and board of directors . In general , They are interested in overall plans , So we need to explain why network investment is crucial to the success of these programs . for example , If the CEO wants to increase total revenue in the next year 5%, We need to explain to them how to prevent unnecessary heavy losses caused by cyber attacks through security investment .

Once you understand the objectives of the executive team and the corporate board , You can find specific members , And identify potential allies . Whether the team of the enterprise has any workplace security vulnerabilities recently ? Is it difficult for the leaders of the enterprise to let their teams understand the composition of the phishing plan ? These interests and experiences can help the CIO explain security solutions .

Do not use technical terms to explain

The chief information security officer is usually proficient in network security technology , But the thing to remember is , Not everyone knows the subject as well as he does , And business leaders may not understand technical terms well . A dialogue dominated by highly technical terms , It is unlikely to attract and maintain the attention of the company's management or board members .

The chief information security officer is a translator who explains the network security requirements to the leadership in a way they understand —— Through examples in real life and business indicators outlining risks . If they can understand the terms , Business executives will be more willing to consider these suggestions .

As chief information security officer , It's not just about tracking changing risks and keeping up with technological advances , We should also become an advocate of protecting the network security of enterprises , Persuade corporate executives to invest in cyber security . With clear and relevant information , The chief information security officer can be the champion of a strong cyber security strategy .