Knowing when to hire a CISO is a challenging proposition – one which most organizations will eventually need to answer.
The need to hire a CISO depends on a combination of factors, including but not limited to:
Relevance of regulatory requirements
Size of the organization
Complexity of operations
Sensitivity of data handled or processed
Desired risk tolerance – adversity to downtime, breaches or transaction tampering
The kinds of threat archetypes targeting them
Prevailing domestic and international laws
Competitors’ security posture
Previous or ongoing cybersecurity incidents and near-misses
Expectations from investors, customers, partners, and the Board
Current state of the security culture and oversight
Based on these considerations, my recommendation can range from: ‘you should already have a CISO in place’ to a future condition, such as ‘when you transition from MVP to production, plan to hire a CISO to build policies and embed security into development processes.’
In many startups, cybersecurity oversight is initially handled by other roles, such as the CIO, CTO, engineering, or even an outsourced 3rd party. This can work well for a time, but not always, and at some point, the responsibilities should be transitioned to a dedicated professional that is proficient in the multiple disciplines of cybersecurity.
There is a real risk that these early leaders come to believe they are doing a great job, not realizing what they are missing or the pitfalls ahead. It is the Dunning-Kruger effect, where inexperienced people overestimate their skills, due to a lack of knowledge. In such cases, organizations may defer hiring an experienced cybersecurity leader until it is too late and a grievous incident reveals such shortcomings.
For growing startups, a fractional CISO is often a great option that reduces overall costs while still benefiting from a very experienced professional. Quality does matter when it comes to cybersecurity leadership. While a full-time expert CISO will cost in the mid 6-figures, an expenditure that startups typically cannot afford, smaller organizations don’t actually require a significant time commit from a seasoned CISO. So, a fractional CISO is a great compromise where the enterprise gains the advantages of a proficient leader and the overall cost is distributed across several of the CISOs clients, making it affordable for everyone involved. The big mistake is to forego adding the needed expertise or to hire an inexperienced CISO at a lower salary, which often ends in disaster.
Larger organizations with complex needs, require a full-time CISO and a supporting staff. The greater the demands and scope, the more resources and specialized skills are needed to sustain the capability at a consistent and comprehensive level, while adapting to evolving risks.
Ultimately, the right time to hire a CISO depends on where your organization is in its growth and risk journey—but waiting too long often proves more costly than acting early.
What considerations do you think are important when deciding to hire a CISO?
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