Explanation
Cybersecurity is more important than ever to responsible corporate governance, as cyberattacks represent one of the most significant threats to a company's customers, operations, and reputation.
Boards should invest in cybersecurity awareness training programs to prepare all employees for evolving cyber threats, and chief information security officers (CISOs) should drive this effort.
CISO plays an important role It's about building stakeholder support for cybersecurity throughout the company, especially on the board of directors. Board members often lack the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about a company's cybersecurity posture, and educating board members in a clear and convincing manner is difficult. It's her CISO job. CISOs must demonstrate the extent of damage that cyberattacks can cause, how employees can be equipped to identify and prevent these attacks, and how they can maintain accountability for risk mitigation programs. .
5 key communication strategies for CISOs
There are several strategies that can help CISOs gain long-term support for awareness training from the board. This includes communicating cybersecurity concepts in an engaging, non-technical way to showing board members that a cybersecurity program can deliver a significant ROI. Let's take a closer look at the top five ways CISOs can demonstrate to the board that it's time to prioritize cybersecurity.
1. You know how to communicate with a non-technical audience.
almost Three-quarters of of CISOs say they have “sufficient contact with the board,” but the majority of CISOs believe that the board lacks “the knowledge and expertise to respond effectively to board presentations.” It is reported that there is. CISOs need to do more to address this disconnect. The process begins with an evaluation. How to communicate with board members.
Cybersecurity can be a scary subject for non-technical readers, but it doesn't have to be. CISO points out the devastating real-world consequences of a successful cyberattack, reveals how cybercriminals deceive and manipulate their victims, and how appropriate behavioral interventions can help all employees By explaining how you can resist cyberattacks, you can make an easy-to-understand and persuasive argument about cybersecurity. CISOs can also highlight specific examples of cyberattacks.
and Boards planning to increase investment in cybersecurityit is essential for CISOs to clearly emphasize the value of risk mitigation strategies such as awareness training.
2. Focus on the entire cyber impact chain.
According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach soared to $4.45 million in 2023. Cyberattacks can also cause serious reputational damage, business interruption, legal and regulatory repercussions, and serious health impacts for a company's employees. This is known as the cyber impact chain and is an important concept for CISOs to discuss with board members.
Boards must recognize that the impact of a cyberattack extends far beyond the immediate financial burden.His 86% of consumers Concerned about data privacy?, a major cyberattack can erode trust for years. As data regulations become increasingly stringent, companies will be held accountable for compromised customer information.
CISOs have all the information they need to educate their boards about the impact of cyberattacks. You just need to present that information in a way that gets the board members' attention.
3. Emphasize the human element.
CISOs have the knowledge to explain how prominent cybercrime tactics are thwarted. for example, 74% of all breaches There is a human element involved. This is a warning that social engineering remains one of the most powerful weapons in the cybercrime arsenal.
There are several ways CISOs can productively discuss social engineering threats with the board. They provide hard evidence about the impact of social engineering attacks, explain how companies can prevent these attacks through awareness training, and highlight the most effective ways to educate employees. can. Cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility. As such, CISOs must advocate for fully engaging employees by providing consistent, interesting, and relevant awareness training content.
Awareness training is one of them. The best way to reduce the financial impact of a data breach It allows companies to respond to new cyber threats and customize it to suit individual psychological sensitivities and learning styles. As long as social engineering is essential to most cyberattacks, CISOs must prioritize human-centered cybersecurity.
4. Outline how to measure awareness training programs.
As investments in cybersecurity increase, CISOs must make accountability a central pillar of their awareness training. If board members determine that cybersecurity spending is paying off, CISOs can maintain support.
CISOs must ensure their employees learn what they need to know about the most pressing cyber threats and tactics. Companies can use assessments such as phishing simulations to uncover vulnerabilities and determine whether employees can apply what they learn to real-world scenarios. These tests are especially valuable given that phishing is the most frequent and second most costly initial attack vector, according to IBM.
Beyond phishing simulations, CISOs can outline other forms of accountability to the board, such as employee-specific behavioral risk profiles, organization-wide security assessments, and proactive incident reporting. These are all ways to reassure the board that the resources allocated to cybersecurity are being put to good use.
5.Reliable long-term support.
Despite growing concerns about cyber-attacks, too many companies treat cybersecurity as a check-box exercise. Relying on multiple email PSAs a year or perfunctory cybersecurity presentations fails to provide employees with consistent, engaging content that ensures sustainable behavior change.
The cyber threat landscape is constantly changing, so businesses can keep their employees updated on the latest cybercrime tactics, such as using AI to craft convincing and targeted phishing messages at scale. must continue to be provided. Consistency is also necessary to reinforce what employees have learned and identify weaknesses, such as psychological vulnerabilities, that cybercriminals exploit. The goal of a security awareness training program is to build a culture of cybersecurity that can adapt to these challenges at all levels of the organization.
Cybercriminals continue to develop increasingly sophisticated and effective ways to manipulate employees and infiltrate businesses. Therefore, CISOs need to ensure long-term support for effective cybersecurity efforts, including customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) from the board of directors. Threats are only going to get more serious, and businesses have a responsibility to be prepared.
