Influencing and Effectively Communicating to CEOs and Boards of Directors
With security breaches regularly making headlines in mainstream media, CEOs, Boards of Directors and agency heads are focusing on cybersecurity and looking for answers from the CISO. Briefing the board of directors is an opportunity to proactively improve the visibility security receives and gain support for strategic security initiatives. However, it is also an opportunity to make mistakes that hurt a career.
In order to take advantage of the opportunity to brief the BoD, CISOs need to understand the expectations board members have when they hear from any C-level corporate executive. SANS discussions with board members shows that all too often there is a big disconnect. Effective communications to the board requires both meaningful data and a communications approach and style that work to actually influence BoD member's discussions and recommendations and to drive the change necessary to make advances in corporate cybersecurity.
As part of a continuing series of 'CISO Hot Topic' sessions, John Pescatore, SANS Director of Emerging Trends, and Alan Paller, SANS founder and Research Director, will present a session with real world lessons learned and 'What Works' examples for CISOs to learn how to take advantage of opportunities to interact with top management in ways that lead to increases in the effectiveness of the security program.
