Why CISOs succeed and why they leave

Earlier this year, ESG and the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) published a research report titled, The State of Cyber Security Careers. The report was based on a survey of 437 cybersecurity professionals, the clear majority of which were ISSA members.

Two-thirds of these cybersecurity professionals worked at an organization that employed a CSO or CISO. These individuals were then asked to identify the most important qualities that make a successful CISO. Here is a sample of the results:

• 50% of respondents said strong leadership skills were most important
• 47% of respondents said strong communication skills were most important
• 30% of respondents said a strong relationship with business executives was most important
• 29% of respondents said a strong relationship with the CIO and other members of the IT leadership team was most important
• 23% of respondents said strong management skills were most important

Based upon this list, it’s clear that successful CISOs need to be strong business people who can work with business and IT executives. This is an important consideration since many security professionals are deeply rooted in the technology rather than the business aspects of infosec.

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