The role of CISOs is changing - here's how

Roger Lvin, CEO and President, Hitachi Solutions America

Historically, cybersecurity leaders have not always had a seat at the table. They often reported to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or Chief Technology Officers (CTOs), serving a tertiary function.

Today, that’s no longer the case. They are taking on a much larger role within organizations and, with the rise of AI, shoulder considerable responsibilities beyond cybersecurity. The continuity, resilience, and growth of businesses are now on the line.

Two main shifts are driving change. The first is that the scope of cyber threats is growing. Digitalization and new AI solutions have opened up attack surfaces for cybercriminals to target. Meanwhile, generative AI has also given them new tools in their arsenal, from using bots to scrape information to the ability to personalize tactics like phishing at scale.

The second shift is a convergence in business functions – IT is no longer just IT and security is no longer just security. Connected operations require new, more holistic approaches to safeguarding systems and data. To ensure there are no cracks in your defenses, you need an integrated view of all of your systems and infrastructure.

CISOs have not only earned their seat at the table, but are taking the lead on some of the most significant operational developments.

82% of CISOs now interact directly with their organization’s CEO and 83% are regular participants in board meetings. They are also taking on more cross-functional roles, co-owning enterprise risk and working with both IT and OT teams to tackle threats.

The CISO has been redefined in the image of both the challenges and opportunities associated with an AI-defined, cyber-physical threat landscape. They are now the person who can help (re)gain customer trust, control capital outlays, mitigate risk and associated insurance costs, and much more.

Here are the four developing functions of the CISO:

Infrastructure Strategists

Are multi-disciplinary experts who can work effectively across business functions, bridging IT and OT to oversee and unify security standards. They are responsible for decisions that influence data center design, the segmentation of IT/OT networks and physical-digital access controls.

AI Risk Officers

Are future-ready specialists who use their expertise to assess and mitigate risks from emerging AI technologies, be that potential vulnerabilities associated with AIOps implementation or bigger questions surrounding AI safety. A lack of clear AI governance elsewhere positions CISOs as owners of everything from misuse of operational AI systems to AI supply chain risk.

Change Architects

Are committed leaders at the heart of organizational and behavioral change. They work across teams, defining and championing best practices for digital tool usage and risk mitigation. This includes increasing AI adoption, building trust in automation, and setting up processes for error mitigation – both human and AI.

Partnership Officers

Are collaborative security leads who use their extensive on-the-ground experience to build trust with partners and help forge new relationships with discerning prospects. They act as a diplomat within a wider ecosystem, shaping relationships with regulators, shared threat intelligence, and cooperation on cyber resilience more broadly.

Is the CISO equipped for the new threat landscape? 

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