Security risk board of directors: When ignorance becomes a real vulnerability

As the threat escalates, a publicly traded corporation continues to cut corners on IT security, relying on hope rather than defense.

The CISO? No influence. No budget. No team.

Now the few employees are sick, and no one cares.
The executive suite? Looking the other way.

Years of overload, zero recognition, no opportunities for development, and a management team lulled into a false sense of security. The risk is no longer hypothetical. When the last person on the security team is overwhelmed and drops out, everything comes to a standstill. And the attackers won’t wait.

Burnout has now become a security vulnerability in itself:

• CISOs work an average of eleven hours of overtime per week.
• 60% report acute burnout
• Many leave the role after a few years. Burned out, discouraged, left alone.

What is the point of having a CISO if they don’t receive any real support? When will board members take responsibility instead of making excuses ?

The much-cited cyber security skills gap? In my opinion, it’s homemade.

It’s caused by decision-makers who prioritize incorrectly, downplay or ignore risks, and thus lose the very professionals they are desperately seeking.

Cyber security does not fail because of a lack of talent; it fails because of a lack of leadership.