How the role of the CISO is shifting
-Geoff Schomburgk, vice president, Asia Pacific, Yubico The popularity of Working from Anywhere (WFA) arising from the pandemic has accelerated Digital Transformation for many organisations. As companies take on digital transformation projects and evolve their IT infrastructure, the risks are changing, too. As cyber threats have grown in intensity and sophistication, cybersecurity has become a more strategic business priority and is no longer the sole responsibility of the CISO’s office; it has become a broader corporate responsibility. Due to this corporate focus on cybersecurity, many organisations’ security functions have changed dramatically in recent years. Security departments used to be completely separate and were often perceived as an obstacle to new initiatives, however, this is now unthinkable due to the pace of modern business. CISOs have had to evolve in their role to become transformational leaders who can empower the business and drive innovation. Increasingly strategic The CISO’s role was previously limited to safeguarding an organisation against cyber threats and reducing potential risks. However, with ongoing digital transformation, the focus of the CISO has shifted and the role is rapidly becoming more strategic and influential. Today, the role of the CISO is measured not only in whether the business suffers losses because of a data breach but also in how security preempts new initiatives and makes it possible to launch new services and applications to market faster. Implementing robust technology solutions to protect digital assets remains a core component of the role of the CISO. However, they are increasingly facilitating Digital Transformation projects with Zero Trust frameworks that secure identity as the new perimeter. Modern authentication is seen as a “continuous process” and identity is an essential building block for implementing a Zero Trust strategy. Responsibility for regulatory compliance As businesses become more digital, the CISO must be aware of the […]
