LevelBlue Finds CISOs Challenged Most by Cybersecurity Tradeoffs, AI Implementation Pressures, and Reactive Budgets Compared to C-Suite Peers

August 07, 2024 at 08:00 AM EDT

New research reveals C-level executive dynamics among CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs create barriers to achieving cyber resilience

LevelBlue, a leading provider of managed security services, strategic consulting, and threat intelligence, today released the LevelBlue Accelerator: C-Suite Cyber Resilience Responsibilities, an analysis of C-level executives who are responsible for cyber resilience with their organizations.

The Accelerator is an in-depth look into data from the 2024 LevelBlue Futures Report, analyzing the dynamics among C-suite executives to better understand issues that prevent risk reduction, stall or complicate compliance, and create barriers to cyber resilience. Top findings include:

CISOs Pressured with AI, Cybersecurity Risk Tradeoffs, and Budget

While CISOs are often responsible for technology implementation, they are not getting the support they need at a strategic level. The Accelerator found that 73% of CISOs expressed concern over cybersecurity becoming unwieldy, requiring risk-laden tradeoffs, compared to only 58% of both CIOs and CTOs. Additionally, 73% of CISOs feel more pressure to implement AI strategies versus just 58% of CIOs and CTOs. These pressures pair with the fact that 66% of CISOs believe reactive budgets cause a lack of proactive cybersecurity measures, compared to 55% of CIOs and 53% of CTOs feeling the same way.

C-Suite Alignment Could Clarify Cybersecurity Priorities

CISOs expressed more concern about cybersecurity's operational and strategic challenges. The missing component is alignment among the different interests represented by the other roles: CTOs were concerned with the impact of compliance on innovation and competitiveness, aligning with their focus on technology development. Conversely, CIOs balance broader strategic perspectives, encompassing risk management, compliance, and adopting new technologies.

Based on roles, it is not surprising most CIOs (92%) are more inclined to embrace uncertainty concerning cyber threats, compared to 81% of CTOs and 75% of CISOs. These differences in tolerance are important to discuss when creating a cybersecurity strategy that considers business priorities.

“Understanding the C-suite’s business priorities is critical for shaping effective cybersecurity strategies,” said Theresa Lanowitz, Chief Evangelist of LevelBlue. “Identifying how these essential roles look at the business helps to ensure alignment among CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs, as well as the teams that report into them. It’s a key first step towards bolstering cyber defenses, especially with the CEO and Board support.”

Additional findings:

CTOs view compliance as an obstacle to innovation. 73% of CTOs (compared to 55% CIOs and 61% CISOs) are concerned about regulations hindering competitiveness and are more likely to perceive compliance as an obstacle to innovation.
The supply chain has hidden risks, and the importance of those risks varies. Nearly three in four CIOs (74%) and CISOs (73%) find it challenging to assess the cybersecurity risk from their supply chain, compared to only 64% of CTOs.
C-Suite alignment on cloud computing supports cybersecurity resilience. There was little difference in the perception of cloud computing's ability to provide cybersecurity resilience among CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs, with 83%, 82%, and 80%, respectively, acknowledging its benefits. This consensus indicates a shared recognition among these executive roles of cloud solutions' value in enhancing cybersecurity.

The LevelBlue Accelerator provides best practices for improving cyber resilience for CIOs, CTOs, and CISOs, providing an actionable roadmap tailored to these executives. A full copy of the LevelBlue Accelerator: C-Suite Cyber Resilience Responsibilities can be downloaded here. This study follows the release of the 2024 LevelBlue Futures Report which can be found here.

For more information on LevelBlue’s managed security, consulting, and threat intelligence services, please visit www.levelblue.com.

Methodology

The research is based on a quantitative survey that was carried out by FT Longitude in March 2024. There were a total of 1,050 C-suite and senior executives surveyed, across 18 countries and seven industries: energy and utilities, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, transportation, and US SLED (state, local government, and higher education). Respondents were employed in a variety of cybersecurity-related roles, with 32% working at C-level and the remainder employed in C-minus one positions.

About LevelBlue

We simplify cybersecurity through award-winning managed services, experienced strategic consulting, threat intelligence and renowned research. Our team is a seamless extension of yours, providing transparency and visibility into security posture and continuously working to strengthen it.

We harness security data from numerous sources and enrich it with artificial intelligence to deliver real-time threat intelligence, which enables more accurate and precise decision making. With a large, always-on global presence, LevelBlue sets the standard for cybersecurity today and tomorrow. We easily and effectively manage risk, so you can focus on your business.

Welcome to LevelBlue. Cybersecurity. Simplified. Learn more at www.levelblue.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240807298508/en/

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LevelBlue Finds CISOs Challenged Most by Cybersecurity Tradeoffs, AI Implementation Pressures, and Reactive Budgets Compared to C-Suite Peers

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