Should CISOs Be Technical?

Don’t want to read this? Watch a video short of the topic here.

There are a lot of different paths to becoming a CISO and everyone’s journey is different, however two of the most common paths are coming up through the technical ranks or transitioning over from the compliance function. Coming up through the technical ranks is common because cybersecurity is a technically heavy field, particularly when attempting to understand the complexities of how exploits work and the best way to defend against attackers. Coming up through the compliance ranks is also common because companies are often focused on getting a particular compliance certification in order for them to conduct business and interact with the customers. Each of these paths offers advantages and disadvantages, but I will argue being technical is more challenging than some of the softer cybersecurity disciplines like compliance, which leads to a common question – do CISOs need to be technical?

Yes, but…

If you don’t want to read any further the short answer is yes, CISOs need to be technical. The longer answer is, being technical is a necessary, but insufficient characteristic of a well rounded CISO. The reason being technical is insufficient is because for the past few years the CISO role at public companies has been transforming from a technical role to a business savvy executive role. CISOs are expected to report to the board, which requires speaking the language of business, risk and finance. I have seen CISOs quickly lose their audience in board meetings when they start talking about tooling, vulnerabilities and detailed technical aspects of their security program. CISOs need to be able to translate their security program into the language of risk and they need to be savvy enough to weave in financial and business terminology that the board and other C-Suite executives will understand.

Obtain (and maintain) A Technical Grounding

Even though being technical is no longer sufficient for a well rounded CISO it is important for a CISO to obtain or maintain a technical grounding. A technical grounding will help the CISO translate technical concepts (like vulnerabilities and exploits) into higher level business language like strategy, risk or profit and loss (P&L). It is also important for a CISO to understand technical concepts so they can dig in when needed to make sure their program is on track or controls are operating effectively. Lastly, it is important to maintain technical credibility with other technical C-Suite stakeholders like the CTO and CIO. Speaking their language will help align these powerful C-Suite members with your security program, who can then lend critical support when making asks for the rest of the C-Suite or board.

What other skills does a CISO need?

In addition to a technical grounding, there are a number of skills CISOs need to master in order to be effective in their role. The following is a short list of skills CISOs need to have in order to be successful at a public company:

• Executive presence and public speaking skills with the ability to translate security concepts into business risk that resonates with senior executives and the board
• Ability to lead and communicate during a crisis
• Politically savvy, with ability to partner with and build alliances with other parts of the business
• Ability to understand the core parts of the business, how they operate and what their strategy is
• Ability to explain the “value” of your security program in business and financial terms
• Strong understanding of financial concepts such as CAPEX, OPEX, P&L, budgeting and ability to understand balance sheets, earning results and SEC filings
• Understand and navigate legal concepts (such as privilege), regulations and compliance activities with the ability to map these concepts back to your security program or testify in court (if needed)
• Ability to interact with auditors (when needed) to satisfy compliance asks or guide responses
• Ability to interact with customers to either reassure them about the maturity of your security program or act as an extension of the sales team to help acquire new customers
• Interact with law enforcement and other government agencies, depending on the nature of the business

If this seems like a long list that doesn’t fit your concept of what a CISO does, then you may have some weaknesses you need to work on. This list also reflects the evolving nature of the CISO role, particularly with respect to board interaction and leadership at public companies. More importantly, a lot of these concepts are not covered in popular security certifications and you definitely won’t get all of this experience from start ups or non-public companies. That is ok, because recognizing and acknowledging your weaknesses is the first step to becoming a better CISO.