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It’s no secret that cyber attacks are becoming more common—and sophisticated. Ransomware, supply chain exploitation, and commercial spyware were among the top risks of 2023, and these threats and others like them show no signs of slowing. With the risk of cyber attacks higher than ever, CISOs have never been more critical to company security. But what is a CISO? What exactly do they do? And how can they benefit your business?
A chief information security officer (CISO) is a senior executive who oversees a company’s information and data security. As cyber threats have become more pervasive, CISOs have also become more prevalent, playing a key role in protecting organizations’ digital infrastructure.
The CISO is tasked with developing and implementing an information security program, which includes procedures and policies designed to protect enterprise communications, systems, and assets from both internal and external threats.
The first step in creating a program like this is to assess current security measures. A CISO examines the company’s procedures and identifies any gaps to be filled. They also look for vulnerabilities and develop strategies to manage them. CISOs stay up to date with the latest cybersecurity trends and technologies and revise protocols as needed.
Unsurprisingly, one of CISOs’ primary duties is managing and mitigating risk. To do this, they conduct regular assessments to understand the potential impact of various threats and vulnerabilities. With this information in hand, the CISO prioritizes risks based on severity and likelihood of occurrence.
Mitigating these risks requires a strategic approach and involves the implementation of advanced threat detection systems. CISOs might also employ administrative access controls to ensure that only authorized parties get access to sensitive data.
Modern businesses must adhere to several regulations, such as the GDPR, which fines companies up to $21 million or 4% of their global revenue for non-compliance. CISOs help maintain compliance by conducting regular audits to verify that security practices align with any applicable requirements.
When disaster strikes, it pays to have an incident response plan in place. CISOs are responsible for developing and executing these plans to limit damage as much as possible. While security breaches can occur even with the best preventative measures, a good CISO should be able to respond quickly.
Usually, when such breaches occur, the CISO coordinates the response effort, gathering IT and security teams to investigate the incident, determine its scope, and identify the root cause. Once the threat is contained, the CISO works to eradicate any malicious elements from the company’s system and restore normal operations.
A good workplace culture involves many things, one of the most important being an informed approach towards security. NIST offers several tips to help foster this type of culture:
CISOs help ensure these best practices are followed. They organize training sessions, workshops, and even simulated attacks to test employees’ ability to handle difficult situations. By getting everyone onboard with the right protocols, CISOs improve organizational security posture.
A chief compliance officer (CCO) keeps businesses in line with legal standards, regulatory requirements, and internal policies. They develop and manage the organization’s compliance program and are tasked with everything from conducting training to performing audits. Their primary goal is to detect and respond to compliance violations, thereby offsetting potential penalties.
While CCOs and CISOs both aim to protect organizations, CISOs’ primary focus lies in securing information assets against cyber threats and promoting data security. The CCO role covers a broader range of regulatory and legal compliance issues, including financial regulations and ethical practices.
The importance of cybersecurity today cannot be overstated. With trends like ransomware and phishing attempts predicted to expand in scope, businesses must be on guard and constantly on the lookout for emerging threats. Turning a blind eye to security for a moment can have lasting consequences.
A CISO can help your company stay on top of things and create a solid cybersecurity organizational structure. With their assistance, you can more easily adjust to this evolving landscape and develop lasting solutions capable of adapting to your company’s needs.
The cornerstone of any cybersecurity structure is threat intelligence, something CISOs excel at. They are skilled at monitoring emerging threats and spotting attack vectors. Leveraging internal data and external sources, the CISCO can proactively defend against attacks and swiftly respond to whatever incidents do occur.
Just as you wouldn’t want a stranger poking around your backyard, you don’t want unauthorized users attempting to access your company’s data. Identity management is a crucial part of a cybersecurity framework, and CISOs work tirelessly to restrict access using identity and access management (IAM) systems.
Building a cybersecurity framework isn’t a one-and-done thing. It requires ongoing monitoring and updating to adequately defend against threats. CISOs ensure that the security architecture aligns with company needs and goals, tweaking—and sometimes completely changing—elements to manage vulnerabilities.
The role of a CISO is invaluable in detecting and responding to threats. While leaving security to chance may have been an option years ago, threat management is non-negotiable in today’s world. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say a good security program can mean the difference between business failure and success. CISOs can ensure you stay on the right side of things.
So what is a CISO? In short, someone who can save your company from potential disaster. But whether you decide to hire one or not, it’s important to leverage proven tools to protect your organization’s most valuable digital assets. To learn more about what CISOs do and how Compyl’s solutions can help with your cybersecurity needs, request a demo today.
