Empowering Partnerships: CISOs, CEOs, and the Board

As organizations face mounting regulatory pressure, relentless cyberattacks, and the accelerating pace of digital transformation, the CISO’s ability to work effectively with CEOs and the board has never been more critical. In fact, it’s a crucial factor in keeping the security program aligned with business objectives and executive expectations.

What does that “effective relationship” between the CEO and the board look like in practice? How are such relationships built and maintained? Let’s  explore the strategies and best practices that define the modern CISO’s engagement with top leadership.

A recent survey revealed considerable differences among companies in terms of providing CISO access to the CEO and boardroom. The report, by IANS and Artico Search, surveyed of 830 CISOs regarding roles, compensation, job satisfaction, board engagement, and career development. 

First, the positive news. According to the survey, 28% of CISOs report directly to the CEO or occupy a high-ranking position in the company’s hierarchy. These CISOs also maintain regular engagement with the board, meeting at least quarterly, either in full board sessions or as members of subcommittees. 

The remaining CISOs don’t fare as well. Precisely 50% of respondents excel at C-suite access or boardroom influence, but not both. The remaining 22% have limited executive-level access due to their lower organizational rank and sporadic participation in board meetings.

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Experts say poor CISO and C-suite influence puts security behind the eight ball, always trying to catch up with changes that the security team didn’t know were coming until late in the process. 

“With the speed and complexity of business today, you need to have these relationships to stay in touch and keep yourself tuned with the business,” said Diana Kelley, CISO at Noma Security.

Build Relationships Before You Need Them

Relationship-building is not just a soft skill—it’s strategic. Don’t   underestimate booking regular meetings with executives in the organization that you need to align strategically, Kelley advises. 

“Check in, stay connected, and have a good relationship,” Kelley says. “I believe that there’s a lot of relationship-building that CISOs often forge. They get very technical, very tactical.”

Having a good rapport, or at least a tight relationship, is especially important when it comes to delivering bad news, something CISOs often have to do. 

“The last thing you want to do is to try to give bad news to people you don’t know,” Kelley said. “If you have a breach or something is going wrong, you don’t want that to be the first time you discuss with someone.”

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One recurring theme among the experts interviewed is the need for CISOs to be able to translate technical risk into business risk. Historically, companies say there’s a significant communication disconnect between the CISO and the CEO and board when working with enterprises on data breaches, regulatory guidance, and fraud guidance, explains Mark Rasch, legal counsel at Unit221B. 

“CISOs do not know how to communicate risk to the board, and the board doesn’t know how to understand the metrics of security,” says Rasch, principal at Rasch Technology and Cyberlaw. “The CISO needs to know how to answer, “How are we doing risk and security-wise? In a meaningful way.” 

Know Your Audience, Tailor Your Message

For CISOs navigating today’s volatile risk environment, a nuanced grasp of both organizational structure and board expectations is indispensable. In smaller firms, security leaders are often expected to participate in every board meeting, personally briefing executives and driving risk discussions from the front lines. This role demands exceptional preparation, confidence, and agility in translating complex cybersecurity issues into clear business terms. 

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By contrast, CISOs at larger enterprises may only engage with board members annually. Still, they must deliver strategic, high-impact risk briefings that crystallize security priorities and demonstrate alignment with business objectives. 

Regardless of company size, the most effective CISOs begin by mapping out who the key decision-makers are, how risk appetite is shaped, and precisely what their audience expects—whether direct briefing or behind-the-scenes preparation. This dynamic approach not only strengthens credibility but also ensures that security strategies align with leadership and elevate the CISO’s role from a technical expert to a trusted risk advisor.

Communicating cybersecurity risk to executives is more about clarity than it is about technical details. Senior leaders, especially those at the board or C-suite level, are seeking direct answers to a fundamental question: “Are we okay?” This calls for the high-level risk assessment demands that security leaders pinpoint and explain the few critical items that will determine the organization’s resilience in the near future.

For instance, when presenting to the board, Caleb Sima, chair of CSA AI Security Alliance and former CISO at Robinhood, warns against being overly tactical. 

“Do not give status reports. They hired you because you understand cybersecurity and risk. Tell them directly what you need to get the organization where it needs to be,” explains Sima. “Tell them the three things that need to be done in the next six months or the organization will be in a bad security position.”

A central and recurring challenge for CISOs is striking the right balance between offering expert advice and deferring pivotal decisions to company leadership. 

“A CISO must know the balance between the inputs and advice a CISO can provide, as well as the decision-making that a CISO can make,” Sima said. “Ultimately, the company’s risk appetite and security program priorities rest with the board and CEO. The CISO outlines the path to reach those strategic goals.”

When the critical conversation with leadership arrives—often in a limited 15- to 30-minute window—the expert advice is to boil the message down to a single key ask and a simple visual to underscore progress. 

“It needs to be super simple. Literally, explain where you were when the program started, like an F or a D, and that it’s matured to a B. And now that we are here, this is the ask I have so that we can mature even further and keep up with risk,” said Sima. 

Ultimately, communicating with clarity, appropriate urgency, and relevance to business risk is paramount. CISOs must distill complex realities into actionable, business-oriented advice that board members and executives can not only understand, but can use to steer the company in the right direction.

Maintaining strong, proactive relationships between the CISO and board enables organizations to address security challenges with greater agility and confidence. Trust, communication, and a shared commitment to organizational resilience lie at the heart of a robust security program. They reaffirm cybersecurity is not an isolated discipline but an essential function of strategic leadership.