Mindset of a CISO – leadership book (e-book)

The CISO protects the company against threats that can shut it down overnight: ransomware, data breaches, fraud and espionage. Great CISOs don't lead with fear or technical jargon. They understand the business, prioritize the risks that matter most, build security into how the company works, prepare for the incident that will eventually come, and help the CEO and board make informed decisions. This book explains how they think: the mindset shifts from security expert to business risk leader, how a CISO spends the week, the decisions that matter most, risk management, the security basics, incident response, people and culture, regulation, the board, AI, the traps, and a 90-day plan.

• The mindset shifts from security expert to business risk leader
• Risk-based priorities, the security basics and incident response
• Working with the CEO, the board, IT and the business
• A 90-day plan and a self-assessment for new and aspiring CISOs
• Approx. 27 pages
• EPUB for e-readers and PDF for phone, tablet or print

Protecting What Matters

For a long time, information security was a technical specialty buried somewhere inside IT. Then came the headlines: hospitals unable to treat patients after ransomware attacks, retailers losing millions of customers' card details, manufacturers shut down for weeks, companies losing their reputations overnight.

Today, cyber risk is one of the top concerns of CEOs and boards. The Chief Information Security Officer is the executive responsible for managing it. The job is demanding: the threats evolve constantly, the attackers only need to succeed once, and when something goes wrong, everyone looks at the CISO.

What the CISO owns

• Security strategy: what we protect, against what, and how much risk we accept.
• Risk management: identifying, assessing and prioritizing security risks.
• Security operations: monitoring, detecting and responding to threats.
• Security architecture: making sure systems are designed and configured securely.
• Identity and access: who can access what, and how.
• Incident response and resilience: being ready for when something happens.
• Awareness and culture: helping every employee become part of the defense.
• Compliance: meeting legal, regulatory and customer requirements.

Where the CISO sits

In some companies the CISO reports to the CIO; in others to the CEO, CFO, general counsel or chief risk officer. There are arguments for each. What matters most is that the CISO has access to the CEO and the board, and enough independence to raise uncomfortable risks.

… The excerpt continues in the book.

1. Protecting What Matters
2. The Seven Mindset Shifts
3. How a CISO Spends the Week
4. The Decisions That Matter Most
5. Managing Risk
6. The Security Basics
7. Vulnerability Management in Practice
8. Incident Response
9. People and Culture
10. Regulation and Compliance
11. Working With the Board and the CEO
12. AI and Security
13. Building the Security Team
14. Zero Trust and Security Architecture
15. Cloud Security
16. Cyber Insurance
17. Communicating With Customers and Employees
18. Working With Each Executive
19. Staying Steady in a Stressful Role
20. The Traps
21. Your First 90 Days
22. Self-Assessment

Format: E-book as EPUB (Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, Kindle via “Send to Kindle”) and PDF.. Made with the help of AI and tested by our quality control. Not tax, accounting or legal advice. Terms and right of withdrawal