In 2019, only 24% of CISOs report to a chief information officer (CIO), while 40% report directly to a chief executive officer (CEO), and 27% bypass the CEO and report to the board of directors. When reporting to the Board, a CISO needs to keep in mind that most Board members aren’t cybersecurity experts. Gain greater visibility into your attack surface across on-premise, cloud, and remote office environments. | All Rights Reserved. Most CISOs have reported to the chief information officer (CIO) since the cybersecurity position was first created—and most CISOs call the CIO boss today, according to Kal Bittianda, head of executive recruiter Egon … Because of their impressive resumes, these job candidates expect to be higher on the organizational ladder. However, reporting complex subject matter to the Board takes skill. Reporting to the CIO may come at the expense of the culture, procurement, and operations functions of cybersecurity, such as promoting company-wide security awareness, assessing cyber risk while onboarding new vendors, and making sure that operating procedures follow security best practices. When the CISO reports to the CEO, it allows the security program to maintain independence from other departments and prevents cybersecurity goals from being hemmed in by financial concerns. A good way to communicate this big-picture impact is to keep the Board updated with easy-to-understand cybersecurity metrics and KPIs, such as security ratings, in order to demonstrate measurable progress. This structure makes sense for companies in the early stages of securing their infrastructure because the CIO is the incumbent responsible for information and data. CISOs are key enablers of digital business and are accountable for helping the enterprise balance the associated risks and benefits. Access to police systems, both local and national, is limited to police-vetted individuals. There are considerable variations in the composition and responsibilities of corporate titles. Keeping the company data safe traditionally falls to the CIO, and in recent data breaches it’s been the CIO who has taken the blame for the intrusions. It’s not uncommon for a security company to be the brainchild of a retired police or military officer. Chief Information Officer (CIO) Qualifications needed – A background in IT and security systems is … Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). From 2016 to 2017, the number of organizations with a CISO (chief information security officer) rose from 50% to 65%. On the other hand, this structure can also challenge the CISO to question their resource allocation, and that can be a positive thing. Should the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO/CSO) be the DPO. Measure, prioritize and improve the performance of your organization’s security. The ideal reporting structure for the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) function is not yet settled. He also has more than 20 years experience as a technology journalist covering topics ranging from software ... read more. Even though the percentage of CIOs reporting to the chief executive is increasing, globally more than half (55 percent) still do not report to the CEO. For Suppliers, Contact Us Example: On May 1, 2018 at approximately 1258 hours, I, security officer John Doe, was dispatched to Lot 12 to investigate a reported noise complaint. In general, however, the ideal CISO reporting structure will allow for efficient communication and swift progress, while ensuring that all aspects of cybersecurity are represented. Chief Information Security Officers Should be Reporting to Chief Risk Officers. That doesn’t guarantee autonomy, however. The 2016 Transforming Government Security Review mandated the removal of legacy structures to avoid compliance with outdated standards and processes. The next step up in the reporting line can have an impact on the decisions that affect cybersecurity and risk. finance, healthcare, retail, utilities) reporting directly to the CEO is perhaps the most effective reporting structure. This position is most commonly given the title of chief information security officer (CISO). | The CIO, being in charge of the IT department, has extensive knowledge about the technical side of cybersecurity. Using tools like security ratings, it’s possible to assess cybersecurity performance in relation to specific initiatives and spend money more strategically. In the "old days" the physical security team sat in a back room watching cameras on a bunch of CRT monitors and information security was part of the network administration group, tasked mostly with managing firewalls to keep the bad guys from breaking in … Privacy Policy Related: The Do's and Don'ts of Reporting Cybersecurity to the Board. A CRO can come up with risk-based justifications for cybersecurity improvements, and make a case for the CISO’s proposed programs and initiatives. That often means reporting directly to the CEO, not a CIO. By Steven Grossman on September 15, 2016 . CEOs may have less hands-on knowledge of cybersecurity than other executives, and less time to spend listening to and thinking about cybersecurity concerns. These aren’t just logistical problems, either; reporting structures within the C-suite can influence the effectiveness of an organization’s cybersecurity strategy. Review, is also no longer mandated by the Cabinet Office in the new structure. The chief information security officer (CISO) is the executive responsible for an organization's information and data security. However, there are a few common practices for CISO reporting, each with their own pros and cons. OIG’s Perspective on Chief Compliance Officer Reporting to General Counsel • “The role of an attorney is, within the bounds of the law, to come up with the best defense possible for his or her client. The CDO is a member of the executive management team and manager of enterprise-wide data processing and data mining. From 2016 to 2017, the number of organizations with a CISO (chief information security officer) rose from 50% to 65%.Other security and risk-related executive positions like chief risk officer (CRO) and chief data officer (CDO) have also grown in popularity. Cybersecurity and cyber risk are increasingly getting their own C-suite positions. Cybersecurity and cyber risk are increasingly getting their own C-suite positions. Some organizations have made half steps towards CISO independence by adopting "dotted line" reporting structures where the CISO reports both to the head of IT as well as another executive … BitSight has worked with IT security and risk leadership at hundreds of organizations. The CISO’s ability to dictate a budget and make decisions independently may still depend on where the position falls on the organizational chart. In many organizations, this role is known as chief information security officer (CISO) or director of information security. Only a little more than a third even listed a CTO in their executive leadership pages. The CPO must be knowledgeable about privacy and data security laws and while some technical knowledge is important, he/she does not need to have the same level of expertise as the CISO. If financial issues are allowed to supercede cyber risk concerns, important cybersecurity initiatives may fall through the cracks. The chief information security officer (CISO) enables business leaders to make the right decisions . It can be difficult to prove the effectiveness of cybersecurity initiatives, and unless the CISO can consistently demonstrate in a quantitative way how their proposals will benefit the company financially, this reporting structure can result in conflict and frustration. | Annex A: Guidelines on company security officer and alternate company security officer responsibilities of the CSM You can effectively write a security report by noting key facts: who, what, where, when, how and why to add to a formal report before your shift ends. Tweet. © 2020 BitSight Technologies. While they probably have a broad understanding of their industry’s most pressing cybersecurity concerns, they may not be familiar with the specific facets of a security program. Listen to the podcast: Take Back Control of Your Cybersecurity Now, Scott Koegler practiced IT as a CIO for 15 years. CDOs usually report to the chief executive officer (CEO), although depending on the area of expertise this can vary. However, that reporting structure is changing, the K logix study reported. Postal Inspection Service), Pamela D. Curtis, Brendan Fitzpatrick, Nader Mehravari, David Tobar. Progress Report: Enterprise security for our mobile-first, cloud-first world Nov 17, 2015 | Bret Arsenault - Chief Information Security Officer Enterprise security for our mobile-first, cloud-first world The more information you have when starting your report, the easier it will be to write it. Reporting to the CEO does have potential downsides. In some organizations, however, CRO remains primarily a financial position, and the CRO may not report directly to the CEO or Board. There are clear benefits to having a designated CISO, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all position, especially when it comes to reporting structure. Only 56% of global CIOs report directly to the Board or CEO — with each additional go-between in the reporting structure, you run the risk of complex issues getting lost in translation. The Government Security Roles and Responsibilities policy sets out the foundation upon which good security is built. BitSight Technologies | Security However, cybersecurity is getting more complex and requires constant awareness of new threats, frameworks, regulations, and best practices. According to K logix, more than half of CISOs report to the chief information officer (CIO) while 15 percent report to the chief executive officer (CEO). | Enterprises are beginning to understand the issues surrounding security threats. Non-CEO reporting lines: Relationships outweigh reporting structure. While interacting with multiple top-level executives is common, disputes can arise at that level when subordinates take direction outside the chain of command. If security were simply a subset of IT infrastructure, it would make sense to maintain a reporting structure in which security professionals report to the CIO. In addition, if an organization has suffered a high-profile data breach, cybersecurity should probably be directly under the CEO’s purview, and direct communication between the CISO and CEO will expedite the decision-making process so that cybersecurity issues get resolved more rapidly. Threats have grown too complex to monitor without a dedicated focus on security. Therefore, in the current climate, enterprise cybersecurity should have its own C-level position. Most enterprises combine a number of functions under the Office of the CFO; the most … The position has risen in the organizational structure to the inner echelon of the C-suite, giving the CISO top-level visibility within the business. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(277648, '106611e9-4fce-4923-afce-237d37f3ae2e', {}); © 2020 BitSight Technologies. While CRO was originally a finance-focused position, the role is evolving, along with the ways risk is evaluated. “As technology sits at the heart of customer engagement strategies, marketing functions are becoming increasingly influential in IT decisions, and their demands are often greater than the CIO’s,” Forrester noted. Within the corporate office or corporate center of a company, some companies have a chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) as the top-ranking executive, while the number two is the president and chief operating officer (COO); other companies have a president and CEO but no official deputy. The chief security officer (CSO) is the company executive responsible for the security of personnel, physical assets, and information in both physical and digital form. KrebsOnSecurity reviewed the Web sites for the global top 100 companies by market value, and found just five percent of top 100 firms listed a chief information security officer (CISO) or chief security officer (CSO). Structuring the Chief Information Security Officer Organization October 2015 • Technical Note Julia H. Allen, Gregory Crabb (U.S. The rest report to the chief operation officer (COO) or a risk management leader. Security has become a top concern for enterprises, so it’s no wonder that the chief information security officer (CISO) reporting structure has changed. CISOs and others in this position increasingly find that traditional information security strategies and functions are no longer adequate when dealing with today's expanding and dynamic cyber-risk environment. Security has become a top concern for enterprises, so it’s no wonder that the chief information security officer (CISO) reporting structure has changed… The introduction of these new roles, however, comes with potential confusion about who should report to whom, and questions about how to implement structural changes. Good security report writing involves doing your research, getting the facts, interviewing involved parties and creating a narrative. Advantages: a) Much of the work to be done by the DPO is borne by the CISO (to be discussed in detail in a later article). For industries in which cybersecurity is a major priority (e.g. Board-level presentations should focus on the big picture, demonstrating how cybersecurity initiatives — including those that go beyond IT —  can improve the organization’s financial, reputational, and operational health. chief information security officer (CISO), where the CIO falls in the reporting structure, direct communication between the CISO and CEO, Board members aren’t cybersecurity experts, easy-to-understand cybersecurity metrics and KPIs. Other security and risk-related executive positions like chief risk officer (CRO) and chief data officer (CDO) have also grown in popularity. It should be the CISO’s job to lead the discussion and make independent decisions related to information security. In this post, we’ll share what we’ve learned about the impact of reporting structures on risk and security. Some CISOs report to the Board, giving them the ability to communicate directly with the highest-level decision makers about cybersecurity needs. However, cybersecurity involves far more than just IT — other departments need to be involved in order to create a truly secure organization. Company security officer's guide to completing personnel security screening forms; Contract security resources: Tools and reference sheets to help CSOs navigate the processes and comply with program requirements; More information. Half of the CISOs asked predicted that they would soon report to the CEO. This should help leaders avoid conflicts of interest. A security report should be written anytime a relevant incident occurs. There is no set, required company structure in the security industry. CISO, CIO, CEO: Cybersecurity Reporting Structures. This authorised professional practice (APP) applies to police information whether it is locally owned or part of a national system, for which chief officers are joint data controllers. No matter how much technical knowledge a CISO brings to the table, they need to be an experienced communicator as well. All Rights Reserved. However, every facet of the enterprise depends on a secure IT infrastructure, and today’s CISOs are finding that they need to work with multiple C-level authorities. Marketing initiatives, for example, are tied to customer engagement strategies, which require input from IT. Because the CFO’s priority is the financial health of the organization, a CISO reporting to a CFO might be unduly burdened with justifying spend. Should the CISO report to the Chief Information Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Internal Auditor, General Counsel, or Chief Executive Officer? Last month’s column addressed the security organization reporting to the General Counsel, which studies show is one of the more common reporting relationships for security executives. As such, the CMO has a responsibility to understand and provide input into security issues. Every organization is different, and your reporting structure should be tailored to fit your organization’s specific needs and concerns. It’s also a necessary change for organizations attracting more experienced security executives. A data controller is a person (either alone or jointly, with other persons) who determines the purpose for which and the manner in which any personal data is, or is to be, processed. Writer Bio . Reporting to the chief risk officer (CRO) can improve organizational understanding of cybersecurity and its relationship to overall risk. 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