SANS Cyber Defense Initiative 2026 - SANS@Night: The Changing Role of the Security Leader

As the world of technology continues to change, so does the role of the security leader. Organizations are under growing pressure to adopt AI, and they look to security leaders to support this transformation. Finding a way to say “yes” while fulfilling our responsibilities to the organization is now part of the job. Whether you’re a CISO, Director of Security, or someone aspiring for such a position, you should consider how the current trends in IT and business affect your professional journey. Does your current approach to security leadership set you up for success? Attend this session to learn how experienced CISOs:

• Align their security strategy to the business it aims to support
• Ask the right questions to excel in challenging situations
• Gain support for their efforts from non-security stakeholders
• Use technical and communication skills to their advantage
• Guide their organization’s AI adoption with guardrails instead of gates

Those of us whose professional roots are grounded in technology often look at enterprise defenses from the perspective of the threats. While understanding the relationship between attacks and defenses is important, it’s no longer sufficient. Attend this session to learn how to think about the role of a modern security leader to succeed in today’s environment.