Why Your CISO Should Report to the CEO, Not the CIO

In an era where cyber threats dominate boardroom discussions, the reporting structure of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has profound implications for organizational resilience. Elevating the CISO to report directly to the CEO signals a fundamental shift: cybersecurity is now a cornerstone of corporate governance, demanding equal footing with finance, legal, and operational priorities. This structural change mitigates conflicts of interest, ensures resource allocation aligns with risk appetite, and embeds security into the DNA of business decision-making. This alignment empowers security leaders to balance innovation with protection, communicate risks effectively, and build a resilient enterprise ready to face tomorrow’s threats. While critical to digital transformation, CIOs often prioritize system uptime, innovation, and cost efficiency, goals that can inadvertently conflict with security imperatives. For instance, patching critical vulnerabilities might require temporary system downtime, creating tension between the CIO’s operational priorities and the CISO’s risk mitigation mandate. Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue it’s a strategic imperative that influences shareholder trust, regulatory compliance, and business continuity. By removing this hierarchical barrier, organizations foster collaboration rather than competition, ensuring security and innovation advance in lockstep. A CEO-level CISO can champion organization-wide initiatives like zero-trust architecture or AI-driven threat detection, ensuring these programs receive executive endorsement and funding. By placing the CISO under the CEO, companies acknowledge that cyber risk is inseparable from business risk. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. In conclusion, the reporting structure of a CISO is a litmus test for an organization’s commitment to cybersecurity. Traditionally, CISOs reported to Chief Information Officers (CIOs), reflecting the perception of cybersecurity as a technical concern. It becomes a strategic enabler, directly tied to business objectives like customer trust, brand reputation, and market competitiveness. The shift to CEO reporting is not just about hierarchy but also about fostering a culture where security informs every strategic decision. A CISO with CEO backing can enforce security-by-design principles, ensuring new technologies are deployed securely rather than retrofitted with protections. When the CISO reports to the CEO, cybersecurity transcends its traditional role as a technical safeguard.

This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:55:08 +0000


Cyber News related to Why Your CISO Should Report to the CEO, Not the CIO

CISO Conversations: Nick McKenzie and Chris Evans - In this edition of CISO Conversations, SecurityWeek discusses the role of the CISO with two CISOs from the major crowdsourced hacking organizations: Nick McKenzie at Bugcrowd and Chris Evans at HackerOne. The purpose, as always, is to help aspiring ...
1 year ago Packetstormsecurity.com
Why CISOs and CIOs Should Work Together More Closely - Although there are overlaps in the goals and responsibilities of the CIO and the CISO, there are also challenges that get in the way of a more cohesive relationship, including reporting lines, organizational structures, budgets, and risk appetites. A ...
1 year ago Feedpress.me
The Role of the CISO in Digital Transformation - Modern-day demands require organizations to be flexible and digitally savvy, getting work done remotely and in the public cloud as often as in a centralized physical location, if not more so. As companies continue to modernize their workflows and ...
1 year ago Darkreading.com
Why Your CISO Should Report to the CEO, Not the CIO - In an era where cyber threats dominate boardroom discussions, the reporting structure of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has profound implications for organizational resilience. Elevating the CISO to report directly to the CEO signals a ...
1 month ago Cybersecuritynews.com
CIOs and CFOs, two parts of the same whole - CFOs, the keepers of the bottom line, are driven by profitability, whereas CIOs are tasked with achieving technology goals to drive operational efficiency, as well as translating the complex language of digital security to the board. CIOs need tools ...
1 year ago Itsecurityguru.org
Is the vCISO model right for your business? - It's getting harder to justify not having a CISO, so many businesses that have never had a CISO are filling the gap with a virtual CISO. A vCISO, sometimes referred to as a fractional CISO or CISO-as-a-Service, is typically a part-time outsourced ...
1 year ago Darkreading.com
A Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Guide for Leaders - Now more than ever, keeping your cyber risk in check is crucial. In the first half of 2022's Cyber Risk Index, 85% of the survey's 4,100 global respondents said it's somewhat to very likely they will experience a cyber attack in the next 12 months. ...
2 years ago Trendmicro.com
How to perform a proof of concept for automated discovery using Amazon Macie | AWS Security Blog - After reviewing the managed data identifiers provided by Macie and creating the custom data identifiers needed for your POC, it’s time to stage data sets that will help demonstrate the capabilities of these identifiers and better understand how ...
7 months ago Aws.amazon.com
Cybersecurity is a Team Sport - Good security hygiene needs to be a fundamental part of company culture, and leadership should make it clear that proper security practices are part of achieving business objectives. Infusing security and operational resilience throughout the ...
1 year ago Darkreading.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
The Shift in Power from CIO to CISO: The Rise in Cyber Attacks Enables Greater Resources and Budget Allocation - Often when we talk about the impact of these cyber threats, we inevitably focus on the wallet as well as how they can tarnish a business's reputation. As a result, we are witnessing the beginnings of a shift in power from the CIO to the Chief ...
1 year ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com