Page 75 - Cyber Defense eMagazine January 2024

Inviting Others to the Table

By incorporating other leaders into security-focused conversations, CISOs can dissolve silos and
establish cybersecurity as a shared business priority that impacts and involves the entire organization.
Making space for executives from other areas of business to participate in dialogue about cyber risks
ensures that everyone is aware of potential threats and how they will impact all parts of the organization
if left unaddressed. At the executive level, this also bodes well for cyber teams by increasing the chance
of receiving funding for additional resources needed to mitigate potential risks – when the board is more
aware of the prevalence of certain cyber risks and the need to mitigate them to preserve smooth
operations for all branches or departments of an organization, they are more likely to approve capital to
uphold cyber risk management efforts.

This is true beyond the C-suite as well, both upstream and downstream; inviting other employee teams
into conversations, trainings, and educational sessions about cyber risk management sends the message
that cybersecurity operations and strategy is key to the success of the entire organization. Expanding the
narrative to encompass a wider scope encourages more people to care and be involved in the practices
and efforts necessary to mitigate cyber risk.

Proactivity as a Priority for Prevention

In collaboration with CFOs and other C-suite executives, CISOs can prevent catastrophic events like the
SEC/SolarWinds lawsuit by taking a proactive approach to cyber risk management. By fostering clear,
ongoing, and comprehensive conversations about security-related topics and investments, organizations
can ensure they are operating offensively instead of defensively and stay several steps ahead of any
potential risks. When security infrastructure is being continuously monitored and the proper defenses
are in place to catch and prevent a breach before it becomes a problem, organizations can develop a
clear picture of their risk exposure and make data-driven decisions on where to make meaningful cyber
security investments.

About the Author

Jose M. Seara is the founder and CEO of DeNexus, a leader in cyber risk
quantification and management for operational technology (OT) and
industrial control systems (ICS). Jose can be reached online at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmseara/ and at our company website
https://www.denexus.io/

Cyber Defense eMagazine – January 2024 Edition 75
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