In mid-2016, the widening communication gap between cyber security leaders and their executive teams or boards became a frequent topic of conversation here at Focal Point and beyond. As a consulting firm, we work with those on both sides of this problem and could see the frustration mounting. CISOs were frustrated that the board didn’t fund their cyber initiatives; meanwhile, boards and executives struggled to see through the technical jargon to understand their true risks.

In an effort to help address this growing issue, we worked with the Cyentia Institute to uncover the specific communication breakdowns happening in the boardroom. (If you’re not familiar with Cyentia, they do heavy research on industry issues like this one and break down the findings into easy-to-digest, but impactful reports. Their experts have worked on the Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report and more.)

Their research team met with board members, executives, CISOs, and cyber experts across the country to hear about the issues they’re facing directly from them. After months of research and development, the first Cyber Balance Sheet Report was released in April 2017. The Report showed – for the very first time – exactly where board and CISO perspectives diverge, exploring seven key topics through detailed, qualitative research. Over the past nine months, thousands of you have downloaded the Report and applied its findings to your own board-level discussions on cyber.

The 2018 Cyber Balance Sheet Report will hone in on the metrics and techniques that perform the best in the boardroom, again featuring feedback and input from a cross-section of business leaders – including IT, security, finance, legal, and the board.

This year, we want to make your voice heard.

Calling all CISOs, Cyber Experts, Board Members, and Executives

The Cyber Balance Sheet Report relies entirely on input and data from cyber security leaders and executives. We would love for you to share your thoughts, strategies, and techniques.

We are interested in hearing from security leaders, board members, legal teams, CFOs, CROs, and industry experts. We believe this broad audience will provide us with new insights and better research.

We know that you all have lots of demands on your time, so we’ve made this process easy.

• Step 1: Complete the form here.
• Step 2: The Cyentia Institute will reach out to you.
• Step 3: You will complete a short (less than 30 minutes) qualitative research interview.*
• Step 4: With your approval, we will acknowledge you as a contributor in the 2018 Report.

*All data collected will be presented as aggregated, anonymized research results.

Did You Know: You Can Also Speak at the 2018 Summit

The 2018 Cyber Balance Sheet Summit will be held at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, New York, on May 23, 2018. The 2017 Summit brought board members, CISOs, cyber experts, and industry leaders together to discuss how to overcome the challenges facing cyber security teams and their executive leadership. The 2017 Summit generated some fascinating insights and heady discussions, and we expect the same from this year’s event.

We have opened up a call for speakers and are now accepting proposals for both individual sessions and panel discussions. The 2018 Summit is accepting submissions in a variety of topics, including putting cyber risk into context, choosing risk metrics, building breach resiliency, and more. You can view the whole list and find additional details here.  

As we watch cyber threats and attacks grow in size, complexity, and frequency, the need for productive discussions around cyber risk in the boardroom becomes greater. We hope you’ll consider participating in this year’s research.