Everyone knows that Cisos doesn’t really work hard in those comfortable offices. Heck, they just thwarted compliance nightmare, blocked expensive cyberattacks, protected employees from predatory phishing emails, and now dodged the Fed. You know, just the little things you need to protect your organization’s information assets.
Of course, kidding.
In fact, as artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (Genai) penetrate and transform business, CIS officials are adding more responsibility to already packed workloads. They are learning how to manage the security challenges posed by AI, leverage its opportunities and adapt to new ways of working – all demanding new leadership priorities in this rapidly evolving and changing era of AI.
“AI has matured to every aspect of what it is today,” said Candy Alexander, CISO and head of cyber risk practices. “Although the impact on an organization is basically positive, it is also more challenging, especially for Cisos. They need to make sure they revolve around using the appropriate parameters of AI and machine learning, but not avoiding creativity and innovation, which is a huge challenge.”
To keep up with change and stay resilient to organizations, CISOs must prioritize new leadership strategies in their own teams and in larger businesses. These four focus areas are a good starting point.
1. Boot C Kit
Alexander said that as businesses are eager to implement AI effectively, CISOs can play an important role in guiding the C suite on various issues that review the start of AI use cases. “These are conversations with technicians, security and business. You can’t just jump into AI games without understanding what you want to do and what you want to do. Do you want to improve the customer experience? Great. Great. From there, you can build the approach plan from the start, or you can adopt protection.”
CISOs should also be discussed in discussions around data and AI, Jordan Rae Kelly, senior managing director and head of cybersecurity at the business management consulting firm FTI Consulting. “CISOs need a conversation around where the data is stored, how it is ingested, and what laws the use of that data affects. SCISOS only needs to understand the business needs of the data, but now they need to understand the business needs and meaning.”
Likewise, CISOs should be involved in the dialogue on governance, Alexander added. “AI really articulates the need for data governance. Who owns the data? Who consumes the data? Who should access the data? How will the data lifecycle deform and change? How will you protect that data? These are conversations that Cisos needs to be part of the Cisos.”
2. Emphasize organizational literacy
From writing marketing copies to developing code, organizations are experimenting with AI in many ways, but from an enterprise perspective, these use cases are not always recognized. For example, employees may not be aware that unauthorized use of AI puts sensitive company information at risk.
“Without a guardrail, you can let people enter confidential information into the generated AI [tool]and then become part of the language training model. Absolutely terrible. ”
CISOs should view AI as any other awareness program and ensure that all employees have a baseline understanding of the nature of AI and its relationship with their roles. “You need to be able to educate everyone in the organization around AI concepts, and [make sure they] Stay up to date.
CISOs should focus this scope of awareness on the use of AI in various business processes, the ethical implications of AI, the organization’s policies on the use of AI by persons in charge, and the mitigation of their potential security threats and best practices.
To promote guidance on organizational literacy in AI, Alexander recommends reviewing resources from industry organizations such as the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and Open Web Application Security Project.
3. Prioritize education and training for security teams
Kelly said a huge challenge for security organizations is that the scope and depth of knowledge in areas such as AI is changing. “CISOs are doing a very hard job of managing a team that may have been overburdened, overloaded and responsible for various topics – these topics are changing rapidly now because AI is changing so quickly. The pressure to educate is very high, and ensuring that the team’s latest and fresh topics are the next topic in jeopardy, so they are not placed in jeopardy.”
In fact, according to the CSA’s 2024 report, C-Suite executives show that self-reported familiarity with AI technology is significantly higher than that of its employees (11%). This goes against the traditional thinking we hear about security leaders and artificial intelligence, and the “assumption that everyone is afraid of” in a recent interview with VentureBeat, CALEB SIMA said. The survey questioned the view that every junior employee (only age, can say some way in the latest iteration of AI, and “every CISO says no to AI, which is a huge security risk, and it is a huge problem.” If anything, it is a good reminder that a company-wide awareness strategy (discussed above) must include a specific educational program for IT departments.
Alexander said that although the team may have been extended, it is important for CISOs to intentionally include dedicated time into the team’s schedule for focused training in AI. This training should prioritize the latest AI tools and technologies, their impact on the specific roles of cybersecurity and team members, and emerging threats.
4. Creating a culture of curiosity
Sadhir told the SANS Institute that while it is important for CISOs to prioritize AI training in teams, it is also important to encourage their teams to try AI. “You have to cultivate a culture of learning and innovation. In AI, leaders have to lead from the back, not the frontline. You have to let the thinkers think. In fact, the team members themselves come from the team members. You have to give them the opportunity to foster these ideas to find the right solution for the future.”
There are many benefits to encouraging security teams to try out AI. It inspires these teams to explore new AI technologies and methodologies that can provide new solutions to complex security challenges. It also promotes ongoing skills development, encourages teamwork and share insights, and ultimately helps security teams understand how AI supports and aligns with broader organizational goals and strategies. It can also enhance the overall employee experience of workers, with CISOs and Enterprise leaders paying more attention in today’s pressuring job market.
Kelly said that as CISOs manipulate in the ever-changing AI landscape, it is important that they play a leadership role in the organization’s AI strategy. “[CISOs] No more internal work. They need to have a full leadership role and the ability to work within the organization to predict the company’s work and make these decisions about strategic AI investments. ”
Find out how Tanim autonomous endpoint management empowers your IT and security teams to enable real-time visibility, automated remediation, and increase operational efficiency across the entire endpoint environment.
This article first appeared in focus Magazine.
