Security News > 2022 > January > The rise of the CISO: The escalation in cyberattacks makes this role increasingly important
The CISO role has taken on greater prominence at a time when cyberattacks have become relentless and increasingly sophisticated, and millions of people continue to work from home.
"As cybercrime continues to increase and companies face monetary losses or damages, the role of the CISO and security overall or critical to business success."
Whereas CISOs often reported to an organization's CIO, that is changing as the role has become more strategic and less about IT function.
Sixty-one percent of the CISOs surveyed by Heidrick & Struggles report to someone other than the CIO. In more regulated industries such as healthcare, the CISO may report to whoever handles risk and audit, while those who work in SaaS/cloud/tech companies tend to find themselves under engineering leadership/CTO or the COO, according to the Heidrick & Struggles survey.
In terms of industries that recognize the value of having a CISO, those with financial, intellectual property or privacy risks are likely more in tune with the benefits that a CISO can bring to them, he said.
"Having a CISO with board-level support and oversight in the boardroom could help bring visibility to technology risks each business faces," Durand agreed.