How to Build Executive Influence in Cybersecurity

Habits that will actually make you a better CISO... Start talking to CxOs. Not just in your business. Any business. Find mentors. Have lunch. Ask awkward questions. Do it when there's no incident and nothing burning. Then shut up and listen. That’s where the real lessons live. Here’s what I’ve learned: Talk to a CFO Ask: “How do you think about financial risk and volatility?” Understand how they view cost, uncertainty, and accountability. It will change how you position your entire budget. Talk to a COO Ask: “What keeps operations up at night?” Learn where resilience really matters, and where delays aren’t tolerated. You’ll stop protecting things no one cares about, and start safeguarding what really keeps the business running. Talk to a CMO Ask: “What’s the cost of losing customer trust?” Understand how brand and reputation work in their world. You'll learn to frame incidents in reputational risk terms. Not just security metrics. Talk to a CHRO Ask: “How do we equip people to make smart security decisions?” You’ll stop seeing employees as a risk vector, and start seeing them as the control layer they actually are. Talk to a CRO Ask: “How do we measure risk across the enterprise?” It’s a masterclass in prioritisation, and you’ll start speaking the language of enterprise risk, not just cyber exposure. Talk to a CEO Ask nothing at first. Just listen. Listen for how they talk about growth, customers, markets, and ambition. Because that’s the language your strategy needs to speak. None of this came from a certification. It came from showing curiosity about the business. Security doesn't become strategic until you do. #CISO #Cybersecurity #leadership

Your security team understands why Location A is riskier than Location B, but can you explain it to your CFO in 30 seconds? The credibility gap isn't in your expertise. It's in risk explainability. When your threat intelligence platform shows your new Berlin office expansion site as a 75, but you can't tell the board which specific factors drive that score, you have a problem. How can you justify delaying a $75M expansion based on a number you can't explain? If you can't explain your risk methodology, every security recommendation sounds like an opinion. Every budget request becomes negotiable. Every threat assessment gets challenged by someone with a conflicting travel blog. The security leaders gaining executive influence use transparent, internationally consistent scoring that breaks down exactly what drives risk:   • Property crime: 73   • Violent crime: 53   • Simple assault: 66   • Vandalism: 82 Suddenly your rationale and your risk score aren’t mystical. They’re defensible. Your executives can see precisely why the downtown office scores 68 while the airport district hits 77. They understand which threats you're weighing and why they matter to your operations. Transparent, explainable risk intelligence transforms you from the department that delays deals into the strategic advisor who enables informed expansion. That's your pathway from cost center to competitive advantage.

Most executives aren’t ignoring cyber risk. They’re drowning in decisions that all feel urgent. 🧙🏼♂️I see this constantly when I sit with founders, CEOs, CFOs, and boards. It’s not that they don’t care about security. It’s that cyber is only one of 𝘥𝘰𝘻𝘦𝘯𝘴 of inputs hitting them at once. →HR wants safety. →Ops wants scale. →Sales wants speed. →Legal wants protection. →Product wants freedom. And every one of those functions speaks a different language. Then cyber shows up with dashboards, metrics, percentages, and tool updates. That’s where things break. Executives don’t make decisions in ones and zeros. They make decisions in outcomes. →Risk. →Trust. →Speed. →Survival. →Revenue. Most leaders are forced to decide with incomplete information, under time pressure, while keeping the entire business in view. They don’t have the luxury of diving into how your team runs patching, tuning alerts, or managing detections. So when cyber leaders lead with: • compliance percentages • vulnerability counts • tool status updates Executives hear noise, not clarity. What they actually need is this: Clear options. Clear tradeoffs. Clear ownership. Option A: accept the risk Option B: invest to reduce it Option C: change the business process Each tied directly to the business mission. This isn’t just a cyber problem. It’s a translation problem. The security leaders who get traction don’t ask for attention. They make decisions easier. They frame risk in terms of: • what could break trust • what could slow growth • what could stop revenue • what the business is choosing to live with That’s how executives think. That’s how they survive. If you’re a business leader, this is why security updates often feel unsatisfying even when teams are working hard. If you lead cyber, this is your leverage. Your job isn’t to own the risk. It’s to surface it, quantify it, and give the business real choices. When you do that, leaders feel supported instead of overwhelmed. And security stops being a cost center and starts being leadership. 🧙🏼♂️ Security doesn’t fail because leaders ignore risk. It fails because we ask them to translate it under pressure. 🔄 Repost if decision clarity is more valuable than another dashboard. 📲 Follow Wil Klusovsky for clear thinking on tech & cyber decisions.

Executives care about the next step — not the status. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a CISO is this: leaders don’t need a play-by-play of what’s happening… they need clarity on what happens next. Status reports have their place, but they don’t drive decisions. Executives want to know: • What does this mean for the business? • What decisions need to be made? • What action should we take to reduce risk or capitalize on opportunity? • What’s the simplest path forward? When we show up with slide decks full of red/yellow/green charts but no defined next steps, we’re not enabling the business — we’re just reporting to it. High-performing security leaders translate complexity into direction. Instead of saying: “We’re behind on patching.” We say: “We’re behind on patching, and here are the top three actions to eliminate 80% of the risk by Friday.” Instead of: “Our phishing click rate is improving.” We say: “Our click rate is trending down. To accelerate progress, here’s the training plan and expected reduction by quarter-end.” This shift does more than improve communication — it builds trust. It demonstrates that security isn’t a reactive function but a strategic partner focused on outcomes, not optics. Executives don’t need noise. They need direction, accountability, and the next step that moves the business forward. That’s how security earns its seat at the table. And more importantly — that’s how we keep it. — Brent Hamilton, CISSP | CISA vCISO | Cybersecurity Leader | Board Advisor

Have you ever tried convincing executives to invest in cybersecurity and felt like you're speaking another language? You're not alone. I've been talking a lot about AI lately, but let's get back to basics since this topic came up again the other day. When CISOs propose new cybersecurity initiatives, they often face a wall of objections that sound reasonable but may hide deeper concerns. Let's decode the top 10 executive pushbacks: Objection: "We can't afford this right now." Translation: "I don't see the immediate ROI and prefer to allocate funds elsewhere." Objection: "Our current security measures are sufficient." Translation: "I don't understand the evolving threat landscape." Objection: "We'll address it in next year's budget." Translation: "It's not a priority until a breach happens." Objection: "We've never had a security issue before." Translation: "We're relying on luck rather than proactive strategy." Objection: "Can't we just get insurance to cover cyber risks?" Translation: "I'd rather gamble on recovery than invest in prevention." Objection: "Compliance standards keep us protected." Translation: "I see security as a checkbox, not a continuous process." Objection: "Our competitors aren't doing this." Translation: "I'm more focused on keeping up appearances than on unseen threats." Objection: "Let's wait and see how the situation evolves." Translation: "I'm uncomfortable investing in something intangible until a crisis forces my hand." Here's how it plays out in the real world: A CISO I know proposed a critical security upgrade after identifying vulnerabilities that could expose customer data. The executives dismissed it, saying, "We've never had an issue before." Fast forward a few months, and the company suffered a breach that cost millions in damages, lost revenue, and shattered customer trust. The fallout was severe enough to make headlines, and recovery has been an uphill battle ever since. So, how do we turn skepticism into support? Here are some rules to flip the script: Speak Their Language: Translate technical risks into business impacts. Show how a breach could affect revenue, reputation, and shareholder value (Check out "The CISO Evolution"). Use Real-World Examples: Present case studies of companies suffering from inadequate security. Sometimes, fear of loss is a stronger motivator than promise of gain. Quantify the Risk: Use metrics and potential financial impacts to make the risks tangible. Executives respond to numbers that affect the bottom line. Align with Business Goals: Frame cybersecurity initiatives as enablers of business growth, not just as cost centers. Show how security can give a competitive advantage. Navigating executive objections isn't easy, but by understanding what they mean, we can address their genuine concerns and secure the support needed to protect our organizations. #Cybersecurity #CISO #ExecutiveLeadership #RiskManagement

Eight years ago, I landed my first-ever cybersecurity leadership role – tasked with building and leading a cybersecurity function for a reputable Australian wealth management firm. As a young African man, my ascent into the cyber leadership space was unconventional in many respects. Among these was the fact that I had spent the greater part of my career in technology risk, before narrowing my focus to cybersecurity 10 years ago. I was therefore dealing with leadership scenarios I had never encountered prior, as well as presenting to corporate directors who also sat on boards of multiple listed entities. I had hoped to make it past probation, but little did I know that I would last seven years in this role. Here are three things that not only helped me survive, but also thrive in the high-pressure role: 🔹 From Doer to Delegator Up until then, I had crafted my identity around my functional expertise – I executed my tasks proficiently. However, I soon realised that the same competencies that had made me excel in functional spaces became less critical as I rose the hierarchy. Transforming myself from a competent doer to an effective delegator was mentally painful, but had to be done. I had two options: trust my team to take initiative or work every hour of every day. I am glad I chose the former. Relinquishing control allowed my team to grow in confidence, hold themselves personally accountable for mission-critical outcomes, and sharpen their talents – freeing up time for me to manage upwards and outwards. 🔹 Sharpen Emotional Intelligence and Resilience To quickly inspire confidence, I had to sharpen my emotional intelligence and personal resilience swiftly. This meant remaining clear-headed under stressful situations, refusing to be baited into reactive outbursts by potential detractors, quickly recovering from inevitable setbacks, and offering decisive guidance during challenging moments. 🔹 Master Organizational Politics I also had to quickly learn the subtleties of organizational politics . Cyber risk was one of the many matters the executives were focused on, so I had to submit a compelling business case, take the time to build consensus, sharpen my social astuteness, and genuinely incorporate my stakeholders' feedback into my strategy. I realised, the hard way, that political maneuvering was simply how leadership happened. I am keen to hear from you what additional skills are essential to break the technical ceiling.

Soft Skills Are the Hardest Part of Cybersecurity Cybersecurity isn’t just about firewalls, encryption, or threat hunting. It’s about people. And that’s where it gets tough. The hardest battles aren’t always against malware—they can be in cross-functional meetings, or even within your own team. Here are the soft skills that truly define cybersecurity leaders 👇 1 - Communication: ↳ It’s not about throwing around technical jargon. Your job is to translate complex security risks into simple language that executives understand and care about. For example, don’t say, “We have a vulnerability in our IAM configuration.” Instead say, “There’s a gap that could allow unauthorized access to critical systems, risking data exposure.” 2 - Negotiation: ↳ Security isn’t always the top priority for every department. You’ll need to balance security needs with business goals. Can’t enforce 2FA on a legacy system? Negotiate compensating controls. The goal is not to win every battle—it’s to find solutions that secure the business without stalling it. 3 - Good Report Writing: ↳ Technical skills mean little if you can’t document your work effectively. A well-written security report isn’t just a data dump—it tells a story. Instead of, “SIEM logs indicated anomalous traffic,” write, “Our monitoring tools detected suspicious activity that may indicate a breach. We investigated, contained the issue, and recommend X, Y, Z to prevent recurrence.” The best cybersecurity professionals aren’t just technical experts. They’re the ones who can communicate risks, negotiate outcomes, and write reports that drive decisions Master these, and you’ll elevate from being just a security practitioner to a security leader. Good luck in your cybersecurity journey!

The boardroom is where #cybersecurity stops being a tech issue and becomes a business imperative. CISOs who translate risk into impact shape executive decisions. But too often, security is seen as a cost rather than an investment. #CISOs must bridge technical depth with strategic clarity -- trust drives influence. Influence is more than presenting threats. The goal is framing security as a driver of resilience and competitive edge. Success goes beyond securing systems; it’s securing buy-in. The best CISOs don't just report problems—they shape the solutions that move the business forward.

“Cybersecurity isn’t failing because of tech, it’s failing because of leadership.” Last year, my team and I were called in to support a company after a major ransomware incident. The tech stack looked strong on paper: – EDR across endpoints – 24/7 SOC monitoring – Regular red team assessments But within the first hour of the incident briefing, the CFO said something that stuck: “We had the best tools. Why did everything still go down?” And that’s when it became clear— They had tools. They had dashboards. But they didn’t have the leadership structure to act decisively when it mattered. 🚫 No executive-level crisis playbook 🚫 No shared understanding of critical business systems 🚫 No communication bridge between security and the board Infosec spoke in threat vectors. The board needed answers in financial and reputational impact. Two different conversations. 📊 PwC’s 2024 Global Digital Trust Insights found: 74% of executives say their security leaders struggle to connect cyber risk to business goals. That’s the gap. Not lack of talent. Not lack of budget. But lack of alignment at the top. So how do we fix this? Here’s what security leaders can do right now to build better alignment with the board: ✅ Translate threats into impact. Don’t say “log4j vulnerability” — say “potential $3.2M outage risk.” ✅ Map risk to operations. Identify which 3–5 assets the business cannot afford to lose. ✅ Create a board-ready playbook. Define roles, escalation paths, and executive impact scenarios. ✅ Make metrics meaningful. Don’t show patching rates — show how exposure has dropped over time. ✅ Embed cyber in decision-making. Join strategic planning, not just audit reviews. Cybersecurity is no longer a technical function. It’s a leadership mandate. And the companies that thrive will be the ones where leadership owns the risk, not just the report. #CyberLeadership #CyberResilience #BoardroomSecurity #MCS #SecurityThatDelivers #BusinessAlignment #DigitalTrust #CyberForGrowth

Build a one page cybersecurity vision your CEO will care about. If most of your week is spent on patch queues, tool renewals, and audit prep… you’re not a security leader. You’re a function. Functions get measured on cost and efficiency. Leaders get pulled into strategy, funded, and listened to when things go sideways. Boards, CEOs, and investors don’t care how many tools you manage. They care about: Can we grow without getting wrecked? Can we survive a major incident without losing customers, revenue, or credibility? If you don’t define what security is here to do for this business and where you’re taking it someone else will. Their version usually sounds like: “Do it cheaper and stay out of the way.” That’s how CISOs end up stuck in ticket-land while big decisions happen without them. There’s no middle ground here You’re either: A. The Function CISO Lives in JIRA, tools, and audits Shows up late to say “this is risky” Gets brought in after product, AI, and data decisions are already made Is treated as friction and cost B. The Vision CISO Has a one-page, plain-language answer to: “What is security here to do and what are we building toward?” Ties spend to growth, trust, and resilience not just control gaps Shows up early in product, data, and AI conversations Is the person people call when the stakes are high If your security vision can’t be repeated without you in the room, you don’t have a vision. You have noise, tasks, and tools. Leadership sounds more like: “Here are the 3 things that could actually break this business.” “Here’s what ‘good’ looks like in 3 years.” “Here are the big moves that get us there and what it unlocks for growth.” If you’re a CISO, CIO, or CEO, here’s a simple test: Could your CEO, COO, or Head of Product explain your security vision in under 2 minutes, without you in the room? If the answer is no, that’s the work. To help you with the work see here for a step by step process and an FAQ. https://lnkd.in/gvgNJaFc