Strategic? Functional? Tactical? Which Type Of CISO Are You?
CSO Online, Monday, February 24th, 2025
Research shows various ways to classify CISOs based on role expectations, strengths and experience - distinctions that matter when it comes to ensuring that security leaders land in jobs where they will succeed.
When executives at a startup asked security leader George Gerchow to advise them on selecting a CISO, Gerchow recommended finding a security chief who had the skills to scale a security program, handle an incident, and engage with customers.
The company instead hired a highly technical CISO, one who worked like the hands-on architect Gerchow had been but lacked the leadership skills that were needed to calm clients when a security event eventually occurred. That skills deficit left the CEO scrambling to fill the void and customers feeling dissatisfied.