Shifts in the Role of CISOs Expected in 2024: An Overview of Four Key Transformations
The Evolving Role of CISOs in 2024: Strategic Influence, Risk Management, and AI Security
The role of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) is set to undergo significant changes in 2024, as they transition from traditional tech defenders to architects of business resilience and enterprise risk leaders.
Responsibilities
CISOs are expected to take on a more strategic role, focusing on business resilience, risk management, and AI-related security. They will be responsible for ensuring secure digital transformation and compliance with complex regulations. Moreover, CISOs will own AI safety and security, as AI-powered attacks become a top concern.
Team Resources
Investments in security teams and tools are set to increase, with budgets expected to grow by about 10% to address expanding threats. CISOs prefer enhancing features from existing vendors rather than onboarding new ones, reflecting a maturing security ecosystem.
Communication with CEO and Board
CISOs are becoming key partners with CEOs and boards, helping translate cybersecurity risks into understandable business risks. This partnership fosters transparency and shared responsibility across risk, legal, and financial teams. Less than half of CISOs currently participate extensively in strategic cyber investment planning, but this is expected to improve through stronger alignment.
Adoption of Automation
Automation is central for efficient security operations, helping CISOs monitor and mitigate risks from a large and diverse attack surface that includes AI systems. Automation aids in balancing security control with business agility, enabling proactive threat hunting and quicker incident response.
In summary, the CISO in 2024 is not only a cybersecurity leader but also a strategic risk manager, innovation enabler, and key communicator within the executive suite. They are supported by enhanced resources and automation to manage rising AI-driven and regulatory risks.
[1] Thomas Kinsella's The Future of Security Operations podcast features interviews with security leaders from companies like Elastic and Reddit. [2] Regulators are emphasizing that CISOs must present the material truth of their cybersecurity posture, similar to how CFOs present their company's financial position. [3] Transparency about breaches and policies is now crucial for CISOs, as shown by the Uber CISO's conviction. [4] CISOs will increasingly utilize automation to address underresourced teams and insufficient security posture. [5] According to the 2023 Voice of the SOC report, 48% of VP and CISO level respondents believe that 50% or more of their work can be automated by software.
- In 2024, CISOs are anticipated to be architects of business resilience, taking on a more strategic role that involves focusing on AI-related security, ensuring secure digital transformation, and managing complex regulations as they transition beyond traditional cybersecurity roles.
- To address expanding threats and the need for enhanced security, investments in security teams and tools are expected to grow by about 10%, with a preference for improving features from existing vendors over onboarding new ones.
- As strategic risk managers, CISOs are becoming key partners with CEOs and boards, helping translate cybersecurity risks into understandable business risks, fostering transparency, and sharing responsibility across risk, legal, and financial teams.
