Introducing The Modern CISO Network: Board Book
Meet more than 140 cybersecurity leaders ready to serve in board advisory roles
Today, I’m incredibly excited and proud to announce an initiative created to bring much-needed cybersecurity expertise to boardrooms globally.
Lacework has officially launched the first edition of The Modern CISO Network: Board Book, a directory of more than 140 extraordinary cybersecurity leaders who are ready and willing to provide their expertise to organizations and boards.
Cybersecurity has risen from being a peripheral concern to a central issue affecting not just operations, but the very heart of corporate strategies. Cyber threats are escalating each day, and with that, we’re seeing cybersecurity regulations tighten worldwide: the U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy puts more cyber responsibilities on tech companies, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is requiring public companies to disclose more info about cybersecurity incidents, and the EU and Australian governments are broadening their cybersecurity policies as well.
With these critical changes, it’s important for businesses to know how to navigate the government mandates, mitigate risks, and respond to attacks quickly and effectively. But many companies — up to 90% — lack the in-boardroom expertise needed to do so.
This glaring gap is something we are tackling head-on with The Modern CISO Network: Board Book. With this resource, our goal is to help bridge the gap between the boardroom and cybersecurity, connecting companies with the experts they need to incorporate cybersecurity into business strategies and risk management.
Integrating cybersecurity expertise into a board’s strategy requires more than a mere understanding of technical jargon; it calls for deep, hands-on knowledge of business operations, a keen sense of risk management, and a vision that can link security risks to potential business implications. According to the IANS Research report, CISOs as Board Directors, the most effective cyber corporate board members have significant infosec tenure, cross-functional experience, advanced education, experience working at large/global organizations, and diverse perspectives. It’s not easy to find individuals who meet all (or even most) of that criteria — only 14% of Russell 3000 CISOs have at least four out of those five ideal board candidate traits.
The Modern CISO Network: Board Book features profiles of cybersecurity leaders who are ready to offer their expert guidance to boards worldwide. These individuals bring a unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen, and with their guidance, board discussions will cover more than just compliance. They’ll discuss cyber risks comprehensively to improve corporate strategies.
Having served on a few boards and advised several others, I’ve seen firsthand how the right mix of individuals can influence a company’s trajectory. When boards bring together experts with unique perspectives, they are able to not only solve current problems, but also create powerful strategies and make decisions that drive the business forward.
Boards need to alter their composition to include Directors who understand cybersecurity at a strategic level, who know how to oversee cyber-risk management and the function of making a business resilient against cyberthreats, and who can help boards appropriately direct and maintain their cyber-risk-oversight focus.
The board book is just the beginning of our efforts to change the conversation around cybersecurity at the board level. It’s a step toward a world where cybersecurity is not just respected, but fully integrated at the very highest levels of decision-making.
We’re grateful for the widespread support we’ve received from the industry for this important initiative. We’re extremely excited that Joseph Steinberg — a cybersecurity board member, expert witness, and author — has authored the foreword to the board book. His support speaks volumes about the critical role this book will play in bringing cybersecurity to the boardroom.
We encourage you to join us in redefining board-level conversations around cybersecurity by bringing these cybersecurity experts to your companies. Because, in today’s world, security isn’t just an IT concern – it’s a business priority.
