Guest Editorial by Shirley Salzman, CEO, Co-Founder at SeeMetrics
Recent research from prominent analyst firm Proofpoint highlighting CISO burnout came as a big surprise to… no one at all in the cybersecurity industry.
We see burnout in so many CISOs with whom we work.
These security leaders are under intense pressure to meet expectations – from management, the Board, regulators, and (frankly) from themselves and their ambitions to excel.
CISOs are expected to deliver a burgeoning list of objectives with constantly-shrinking resources – lower budgets, smaller teams, and fewer tools. This is why nearly two-thirds of CISOs (61%) think the demands placed on them are excessive – up from 49% in 2022.
What’s more, CISO’s responsibility no longer ends with the organization itself. Today, it can easily end with personal, financial, and even criminal liability, as Uber CISO Joseph Sullivan discovered.
(Uber’s former chief security officer Joseph Sullivan was sentenced to serve a three-year term of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $50,000 for trying to conceal from federal investigators a 2016 data breach that exposed the information of 57 million users to hackers. Courtesy of SideChannel Virtual CISO Services and YouTube.)
All this is making professional life for CISOs untenable. It’s leading to a staggeringly high burnout rate (a global average of 60%) and a serious attrition rate.
Yet, if we set these clearly worrying human costs aside, CISO burnout needs to be seen for what it is: a serious blow to cybersecurity. Because without effective leadership, there can’t be effective security.
Why is this Happening?
From what I see in the field, a major contributing factor to CISO burnout is the inherent complexity of both evaluating an organization’s cyber performance and communicating it.
CISOs are constantly asked to answer hard questions and share the state of security operations.
Yet even the most basic questions are tough to answer accurately: Are we doing better? Worse? Are our efforts paying off? And zooming in to understand the ‘whys’ of cybersecurity is cumbersome, too.
Communicating what is happening is difficult when they themselves, are unable to grasp the details.
Furthermore, insights that are clear to cyber experts are far less clear to executives.
Indeed, according to Proofpoint, 62% of CISOs think that their Board needs more cybersecurity expertise – indicating that explaining technically complex issues remains a challenge for them.
Multiple other challenges compound these frustrations.
Firstly, CISOs and their security leadership are expected to reconcile an overwhelming amount of data in various formats and structures.
This data originates from overlapping layers of siloed tools in different formats, structures, and narratives.
And these tools – surprise, surprise – don’t communicate with each other.
Solutions managed by IT can’t talk with tools managed by Security or DevSecOps or the SOC or anyone – and vice versa. And even if siloed solutions could technically interoperate – inter-departmental politics often prevent them from doing so.
All this boils down to one core issue: there is no shortage of data, but there is a dearth of understanding.
Basically, today’s organizational security ecosystem is a Tower of Babel in which – just like in the Biblical parable – everyone is talking, but no one can understand each other.
Tearing Down the Security Tower of Babel
CISOs seeking to minimize burnout need to find a way to tear down the security Tower of Babel. They need to enable all parts of their organization’s cybersecurity apparatus to see the same indicators, the same trends, the same KPIs – and to speak the same language.
This is not a naïve vision. It remains a given that every security program comes with its own unique nature and measurements, and the road to consolidation and insights is not smooth.
Most importantly, it will empower CISOs to explain technically complex cyber issues at eye level, backed by easily understandable trends and data.
Yet CISO burnout is a powerful motivator for change, and the technology exists to solve these challenges.
As a veteran CISO we spoke with recently told us, “For years, I’ve been procuring and fighting for budgets for my ops team, but now it’s my time to equip myself with the management tools I need.”
This is a real-life CISO seeking a way to relieve his own burnout, seeking a solution for the daily challenge of measuring his own performance and that of his organization.
The Bottom Line
Effective security leadership and minimizing burnout is key for the integrity of the CISO community.
Helping CISOs make better data-driven decisions will enable a clearer path to prioritization, consolidation, resource allocation, and ultimately, governance.
Most importantly, it will empower CISOs to explain technically complex cyber issues at eye level, backed by easily understandable trends and data.
CISO burnout may not be surprising, but it is also not inevitable.
By adopting the tools and best practices that help both evaluate and communicate cybersecurity performance uniformly and clearly – CISOs can take the first steps to tear down the security Tower of Babel.
About the Author
Shirley Salzman, CEO, Co-Founder at SeeMetrics, a cybersecurity performance management platform for security leaders to see, track, and improve operations using data metrics and insights easily displayed from the cyber stack.
Shirley Salzman has acquired a decade of experience in commercial leadership (Percepto, Contguard, and Logic Industries).
Before her high-tech career, Salzman worked for global policy and strategy firms such as the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. and the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel.
Salzman holds an MA with honors in International Security and Non-Proliferation from King’s College, London.
SeeMetrics Secures a Win in 2023 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program
American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now in its Eighth Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.
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- *SeeMetrics was a new competitor in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.
AST is pleased to announce that the 45th Police Commissioner for the City of New York, Keechant L. Sewell has agreed to participate in the 2023 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Ceremony and Banquet Luncheon as a guest speaker.
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(See some highlights of the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Ceremony and Banquet Luncheon in New York City during ISC East at the Javits Center. Courtesy of AST and YouTube.)
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Homeland Security remains at the forefront of our national conversation as we experience an immigration crisis along our southern border and crime rates that are dramatically higher than before the Pandemic across the United States.
These challenges have become a national priority with an influx of investments in innovative new technologies and systems.
Enter American Security Today, the #1 publication and media platform in the Government Security and Homeland Security fields, with a circulation of over 75,000 readers and many tens of thousands more who visit our AST website at www.americansecuritytoday.com each month.
The pinnacle of the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Ceremony Luncheon Banquet, an exclusive, full-course plated meal event in the heart of New York City.
The 2022 exclusive sold-out ‘ASTORS’ luncheon featured representatives of law enforcement, public safety, and industry leaders who came together to honor the selfless service of those who stand on the front lines and those who stand beside them – providing the capabilities and technologies to create a safer world for generations to come.
Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which came out in force to discuss comprehensive collaborations between private and public sectors that have led to the development of intelligence and technologies which serve to protect our nation.
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New York City Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Department Kenneth Corey, came out to address Luncheon attendees and shared some of his experiences and the changes in policing he’s witnessed over his more than three decades of service.
FDNY Chief Joseph Jardin honored the men and women of the FDNY, not only those who currently serve but all of those who have selflessly served, with special recognition of those lost on 9/11.
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As Chief Jardin noted, mission-driven service is the lifeblood of every firefighter, volunteer, and sworn member, and has been so throughout the history of the Fire Service.
Former head of the FBI’s active shooter program, Katherine Schweit joined AST to sign complimentary copies of her book, ‘STOP THE KILLING: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis, thanks to the generosity of our 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Sponsors.
The 2023 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is Proudly Sponsored by Platinum Event Sponsor: NEC National Security Systems (NSS)
(Hear directly from Keith Terreri, Executive Vice President of Enterprise Services and Business Operations at NEC Corporation of America, on why NEC supports the Annual ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program and the value NEC receives for participating in the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program. Courtesy of NEC, American Security Today, and YouTube.)
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ATI Systems, Automatic Systems of America,
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In 2022, AST was pleased to welcome the esteemed New York City Fire Department (FDNY); the New York City Police Department (NYPD); and the NYC Hospital Police, as well as Executive Management from the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and many other DHS agencies, Federal law enforcement agencies, and private/public partnerships such as the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), the 30×30 Initiative, a coalition of professionals advancing the representation of women in policing; and Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) (rail safety advocates).
The prestigious Annual ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program highlights the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
In 2022 over 240 distinguished guests representing Federal, State, and Local Governments and Industry Leading Corporate Firms gathered from across North America, Europe, and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields.
Each year, to keep our communities safe and secure, security dealers, installers, integrators, and consultants, along with corporate, government, and law enforcement/first responder practitioners, convene in New York City to network, learn and evaluate the latest technologies and solutions from premier exhibiting brands at ISC East, the Natural Disaster & Emergency Management Expo (NDEM EXPO), and the ASIS NYC Expo.
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The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old-school basics to what is Today – a fast-changing security landscape.
American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State, and local levels of government and firms allied to the government.
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AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, which is essential to meeting these new challenges.
Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture, and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.
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AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website, and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.
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To learn more, please see the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2022 ‘A Year in Review.’
The Annual CHAMPIONS edition reviews ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firm’s products and services, including video interviews and more.
The 2022 CHAMPIONS serves as your Go-To Source through the year for ‘The Best of 2022 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today – and can satisfy your agency’s and/or organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.
From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection, and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware, and Networking Security – to name a few), the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION has what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.
It also features guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders and recognized firms in the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.
For more information on All Things American Security Today, as well as the 2023 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
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