Page 172 - Cyber Defense eMagazine December 2023

Speaking Cyber-Truth: The CISO’s Critical

Role in Influencing Reluctant Leadership

By Craig Burland, CISO, Inversion6

In the C-Suites and boardrooms of modern enterprises, there’s an unwelcome guest that often disrupts
the conviviality of strategic discussions: cyber-truth. Cyber-truth is the unvarnished reality of risk delivered
by the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) that shines a light on current shortcomings, dampens
the euphoria around new initiatives, and quells the enthusiasm for new ventures. As organizations tackle
digital transformation, pursue critical certifications, or leverage modern capabilities like AI, the CISO’s
role in unveiling pitfalls and potholes is indispensable. Like Seuss’ Lorax, the modern CISO must be the
voice of cyber-truth.

“I am the CISO. I speak for the risks.”

Facts about unpatched vulnerabilities, non-compliant practices, and unsecured applications are often
met with skepticism at the senior levels of an organization. Requests to “prove the risk”, quantify the

Cyber Defense eMagazine – December 2023 Edition 172
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