5 Key Roles of the Chief Cybersecurity Officer, or CISO

According to the Hiscox Report 2023, 53% of companies were victims of a computer attack that same year: a figure up 5 points compared to the previous year. It is also estimated that the average cost of a cyberattack for companies is €14,720, but that one in eight companies reports that these costs exceed €230,000.

To protect against the risks of cyberattacks, their very harmful consequences, protect their digital assets and preserve the integrity of their information systems, the cybersecurity director, or CISO, plays a central role.

Here are the 5 key roles of this IT security expert.

 

What is a Chief Cybersecurity Officer, or CISO?

The Chief Information Security Officer, or CISO, is responsible for the security of information systems of a company, or a public organization. Its main role is to protect sensitive data, strengthen the robustness of digital systems and IT infrastructures and Prevent and control the risks of computer threats (hacking, data leakage, intrusions, ransomware, etc.).

 

5 Key Roles of the Chief Cybersecurity Officer

Here are 5 key roles of the Chief Cybersecurity Officer:

• Define and manage the company’s cybersecurity strategy

The CISO’s first mission is to help the company build a strategic vision for cybersecurity, in line with the particularities of its activity and its business needs. To do this, he begins by directing an exhaustive inventory in order to assess the existing systems, the current level of IT security and the corrective areas to be taken.

He will then design a global information security policy, which incorporates the highest risks, but also operational needs and regulatory obligations. It will also identify priority actions based on the most likely threats and vulnerabilities, in consultation with the general management and the DSI (Information Systems Directorate).

• Mapping cyber risks

The Director of Cybersecurity is also responsible for conducting IT risk mapping and assessment. To do this, it will identify sensitive assets and critical infrastructure, and assess potential threats and their degree of probability (phishing, loss or theft of data, sabotage, ransomware, hacking of professional emails, malware, negligence, insecure uses, etc.). He will then develop, for each identified threat, an adapted treatment plan, which can include Various preventive measures : installation of firewalls, antivirus, anti-malware, data encryption tools, training and awareness plans, implementation of regular updates and backups, reinforced access controls, etc.

• Oversee the implementation of IS security measures

The CISO also has the role of supervising the proper operational deployment of cybersecurity measures : management of access rights and identities; monitoring of vulnerabilities; incident management; integration of antivirus and firewalls, etc. And this, on the entire information system of the company: applications, networks, cloud, industrial infrastructures… In the event of an incident, he is also in charge of implementing appropriate response procedures and coordinating good internal and external communication.

• Ensure regulatory compliance

Another mission of the Chief Information Security Officer is to ensure that the company complies with the various regulatory requirements for data protection and cybersecurity, such as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). This includes working closely with legal departments.

• Train and raise awareness among operational teams

Another central role of the CISO is helping employees and managers adopt responsible practices and secure in order to reduce cybersecurity risks, through awareness programs, collective workshops, an IT charter with the best practices to be respected, etc. This is essential to empower users, help them become aware of real cyber threats, and reduce human error, which is often the cause of cybersecurity breaches.

 

When to call on a cybersecurity director?

Calling on a cybersecurity director can be relevant throughout the life of the company, whether in a preventive context, to improve IT resilience, or in a defensive context, when the company is exposed to cyber threats.

At certain times, it is also very wise to call on a cybersecurity director, in order to strengthen risk control. This is particularly the case during strong growth, a digital transformation or a merger-acquisition requiring the migration of massive data. During such periods of change, the company is much more exposed to cyber risks and must ensure that the robustness of its information systems is strengthened.

The CISO can also intervene in the context of regulatory compliance, to structure cybersecurity governance, before the launch of sensitive IT projects (redesign of a website, development of an application, etc.), or to carry out a security audit.