It Pays to Know How Your Cybersecurity Stacks Up

Like all other business leaders, chief information security officers (CISOs) could find themselves on the unemployment line if something on their watch goes seriously sideways.

But what if CISOs simply aren’t demonstrating enough business value?

Now with a possible recession looming and companies cutting costs, proving cybersecurity programs are good for the business has become vital to protecting budgets and jobs.

That’s why performance benchmarking is becoming mandatory for cybersecurity leaders everywhere. Indeed, industry analyst firm Gartner predicts that by 2026, half of all C-level execs will have performance requirements tied to risk built into their employment contracts. Such incentives tend to focus the mind.

Pressure builds for cybersecurity benchmarking

As executives increasingly face risk-based performance metrics, CISOs will almost certainly feel more heat to quantify the success of their programs in meetings and reports. That means jumping out of their tech-oriented comfort zones and putting more priority on business issues like improving innovation, investment outcomes, and cybersecurity maturity.