Cybersecurity is finally getting board-level attention—but many CISOs are unprepared for the reality of what comes next.
For years, the cybersecurity narrative on social media has been dominated by tech vendors and misleading messages—focusing mostly on underfunding and the uphill battle to convince executives of the value of cybersecurity. That’s been the backdrop for as long as I’ve been writing these columns.
But in the real world, many CISOs are now facing a dramatically different reality.
Across boardrooms, the penny has dropped: Cyber-attacks are no longer a matter of “if” but “when.” This shift in mindset has fundamentally changed the dynamics for cybersecurity leaders. Conversations that used to start with “Why do we need to spend this?” now begin with “How much do we need to spend?”
This shift happens more often than one might think. It’s typically triggered by a high-profile incident, a near-miss, looming regulatory pressure, or simply a new executive who’s willing to ask uncomfortable questions.
For CISOs, this sudden elevation—from firefighter to transformational leader—can be as daunting as it is empowering. Often, it’s the same executives who once blocked investments now demanding fast results. Expectations skyrocket. Visibility increases. Execution is no longer optional—it’s assumed.
Yet execution remains deeply complex, especially in large organizations. Cybersecurity is inherently cross-functional. It requires coordination across silos, departments, and geographies—areas where large firms often struggle.
Many CISOs, having spent the last decade stuck in reactive mode with limited support, aren’t always equipped for this shift. A background in technology, while vital, doesn’t automatically prepare someone to lead large-scale organizational change.
The transformational CISO must possess more than technical chops. They need managerial skill, personal credibility, political awareness, and a deep understanding of how their business actually works. These traits carry far more weight than familiarity with the latest buzzwords—be it zero trust or quantum cryptography.
This mismatch between expectations and capabilities is a major contributor to burnout and short tenures in the field. Real transformation doesn’t happen in 18 months. And you don’t gain the experience needed to lead it by hopping jobs at every obstacle—no matter how attractive the salary.
Paradoxically, the urgency of transformation demands patience. CISOs must resist the urge to move too fast without the right leadership foundation. That’s often what causes both personal burnout and project failure.
Business leaders generally understand that complex change takes time. What they value most is honesty about what’s realistic.
The real key for CISOs lies in under-promising and over-delivering. Break the work into achievable steps. Celebrate and communicate early wins. Build trust along the way.
That trust—and the confidence it generates—will become the true driver of lasting, meaningful cybersecurity transformation.
JC Gaillard is the Founder and CEO of Corix Partners, a London-based Boutique Management Consultancy Firm and Thought-Leadership Platform, focused on assisting CIOs and other C-level executives in resolving Cyber Security Strategy, Organisation and Governance challenges.
He is a leading strategic advisor and a globally-recognised cyber security thought-leader with over 25 years of experience developed in several financial institutions in the UK and continental Europe, and a track-record at driving fundamental change in the Security field across global organisations, looking beyond the technical horizon into strategy, governance, culture, and the real dynamics of transformation.
French and British national permanently established in the UK since 1993, he holds an Engineering Degree from Telecom Paris and has been co-president of the Cyber Security group of the Telecom Paris alumni association since May 2016.
Read more on our Security Transformation Leadership publication here on Medium