Top 11 Cybersecurity Questions Every CISO Should Be Ready to Answer

Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) should always anticipate questions that might arise during presentations to senior leaders and corporate boards. Below, we present some typical questions that CISOs should be prepared to answer. We hope these questions help you prepare for the next important presentation you are asked to give to your executive team.

1. What are the top cyber risks facing us today, and how do they impact business operations?

This is a common question, and CISOs should always be prepared with a succinct answer. We recommend that you connect specific threats to business continuity, revenue, and reputation, showing the board how cyber risks can derail key business objectives.

2. How are we quantifying our cyber risk in terms of dollars and business impact?

It is common for executives to think about financial return, so you should be ready to offer any available metrics. Talking in abstract terms, however, won’t cut it. Boards want concrete numbers that tie cybersecurity threats directly to financial and operational outcomes.

3. How do we ensure the completeness and accuracy of our cybersecurity disclosures in annual SEC reports?

All executive teams in public companies are now well aware of the SEC’s new focus on cyber. With SEC regulations demanding transparency in cybersecurity, explain how your team is prepared to meet materiality requirements and report in a timely and compliant manner.

4. What steps are you taking to ensure that we (the board) understand and are adequately equipped to oversee cybersecurity strategy?

Boards are under pressure to have members with cyber expertise. Outline the initiatives you’re leading to educate and engage the board on cybersecurity issues, ensuring they have the insight to make informed decisions.

5. Have we integrated cyber risk into the business’s overall financial risk models?

Cybersecurity can’t be treated in isolation. Explain how your cybersecurity metrics and risk assessments are built into broader enterprise risk models, aligning them with the organization’s financial and operational risk strategies.

6. How will we address the growing threats in our industry?

Boards are not cybersecurity experts, but they want to understand your perspective on current and emerging threats and how you plan to address them. You should be prepared to share how your security initiatives consider new threats.

7. How does cybersecurity meet our business goals – M&A, New Product, New Geo?

It’s not enough to meet compliance requirements. You must also demonstrate to your executive team how your cybersecurity efforts directly support business growth and strategic objectives.

8. Do we have the right talent and resources to tackle these challenges?

Executives now understand that cybersecurity is people-driven. They will want to know if you are equipped with the right mix of talent and resources or are budgetary and staffing constrained, which might be holding back your ability to defend the organization.

9. What technologies or strategies are we adopting to stay ahead of emerging threats?

You should be prepared to explain how you’re staying ahead of the curve with investments in emerging technologies like GenAI and automation to reduce risk and budget. Remember that AI will be an important consideration when dealing with executive questioning.

10. How are we tracking emerging regulations?

Regulations change and become more stringent. Boards don’t want the status of these regulations or a summary of their content. They simply want to know you are tracking them and that there are no legal ramifications on the horizon.

11. How do we benchmark cyber risk?

While comparisons aren’t great since two companies can have very different cybersecurity profiles, the board would want to know how you are doing compared to your peers in the industry.

By proactively addressing these questions, CISOs demonstrate their command of cybersecurity and prove their value as strategic partners to the board and executive team.

Sign up for a demo here to learn more about how Balbix can help answer these questions.

Your Next Read:

• Now that you know the questions you’re likely to be asked, use this framework to structure your next board meeting presentation.
• Learn the prioritization secrets of other CISOs and supercharge your next work day.
• Download a guide of executive metrics you should consider including in your board presentation.