Top 4 Things CISOs Should be Considering, But Aren’t

CISOs are concerned about a variety of issues, including building a stable infrastructure, preventing ransomware attacks, and ensuring that internal staff does not abuse or steal data. With so many responsibilities and so little time, even the most diligent CISO is bound to overlook a few important issues.

The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has a demanding job that necessitates frequent interaction with not only other security professionals but also executives at all levels across the organizations. Since CISOs are often in charge of security awareness training, the ability to interact with employees at all levels in non-technical terms is essential.

Beyond implementing security tools and fostering communication, CISOs are responsible for overseeing every aspect of an organization’s security, which necessitates the ability to see the forest through the trees – constant knowledge of big picture and granular threats, vulnerabilities, and security issues are required.

Also Read: Better Contingency Planning for Enterprise Cybersecurity

Here are four often ignored areas that CISOs need to address right away.

Ensure that third-party partners adhere to strict security standards

Clients and service providers, for example, are difficult to track but are often targeted by cybercriminals looking to expand their attacks. Experts recommend that CISOs collaborate closely with their partners to ensure that they are adhering to best security practices. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but evaluating vendors, libraries, third-party processes, and provider connectivity is important. Governance is crucial.

Examining possibilities for innovation

Many CISOs get caught in a rut after years on the job, concentrating almost exclusively on meeting basic business security requirements while holding their heads down. It’s a mindset that often leads to trouble. CISOs that do not innovate can soon find themselves struggling to stay competitive as their companies expand.

A CISO who struggles to innovate over time damages both the company and their own reputation. Companies should push their teams and themselves to transform ideas into proposals, and they must not be afraid of something going wrong. RFCs (requests for comments) kick-off meetings, and even if the end result isn’t what companies had hoped for, it can still result in significant change.

Identifying their company’s data footprint

It’s difficult to fully protect anything that hasn’t been fully comprehended. Many of the most well-known and expensive data breaches have occurred in companies that were unaware of how much data they were storing, as well as the age, type, or location of that data. It’s important to understand what data companies inherited when they began and what data continues to proliferate.

CISOs must also be aware of the volume and scope of data that is not under their direct control. It is crucial to keep a track of who has the data and what controls are in place. Knowing how and when to plug leaks is part of understanding the overall footprint.

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Increasing the support and attention of the security team

CISOs should concentrate on creating and working in an environment and culture that empowers and respects their teams. Effective cybersecurity is primarily the product of an empowered society and advanced environment, which begins with top-level executives.

Also with management support, CISOs should evaluate their security operations and consider changing course if their teams aren’t effectively solving key risk areas or working together collaboratively. Finally, CISOs must ensure that their teams collaborate with strategic partners who can assist them in achieving these objectives while remaining aligned with the company’s overall culture and strategy.