Do We Need a CISO? (And options for those who aren’t there yet)
Making decisions in rapidly changing environments is particularly challenging because the information we rely on for decision making becomes outdated as soon as we gather it. Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-moving rivers of change that any CEO has to navigate. If you’re struggling with questions of who to trust with your organization’s cybersecurity, you’re not alone.
As cyber threats continue to evolve and regulatory requirements tighten, many organizations find themselves asking critical questions about their security leadership structure, including one of the common queries we get from clients, should we hire a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)? The answer often comes from overlapping catalysts: when sensitive customer data grows, company IT infrastructure becomes increasingly complex, regulatory demands increase, and/or cyber risks exceed the expertise of in-house staff.
A CISO provides strategic leadership, aligns security with business goals, and builds resilience against evolving threats. Many factors, which we will cover here, affect whether a company is ready to invest in a full-time CISO, and there are lots of measures you can take to ensure your organization’s security if you haven’t reached CISO level yet. Either way, evaluating where you are now and putting appropriate cybersecurity plans in place today is a decision that can’t wait.
The CISO Tipping Point: Five Key Indicators You're Ready
1. Customer and Regulatory Pressures Are Escalating
If your company handles personal data, payment information, or health records, you’re subject to strict compliance requirements (think GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2). As these obligations expand, organizations often outgrow the capacity of their IT or compliance staff to manage them effectively. A CISO brings a strategic, top-down approach to compliance—building security frameworks that don’t just check boxes but also protect reputation and customer trust.
Key Indicators: Compliance costs are climbing, audits are frequent, and customers ask for detailed proof of your security posture.
2. Your IT Team Is Burdened with Security Work
Many companies initially rely on their IT teams to cover both infrastructure and cybersecurity. But as data volume and threats grow, this dual responsibility becomes unsustainable. IT professionals excel at keeping systems running, but cybersecurity leadership requires its own expertise in threat intelligence, risk assessment, and incident response.
Key Indicators: Your IT staff is stretched thin, breaches or misconfigurations are increasing, and critical security projects are delayed because there’s “no time.”
3. Cybersecurity Has Become a Boardroom Conversation
When security incidents surface in leadership meetings—whether in the form of breaches, near misses, or customer concerns—it’s a telltale sign the organization has crossed a threshold. A CISO ensures those conversations are framed with data, context, and actionable strategy, rather than being reactionary. They translate technical risks into business language executives can act upon.
Key Indicators: Executives are debating security budgets and risk tolerance—but lack a dedicated leader to own those discussions.
4. You’ve Experienced (or Nearly Experienced) a Major Incident
Unfortunately, for many companies, the wake-up call comes after a breach, ransomware event, or insider threat. Even if the damage is contained, the experience often illuminates the value of having a dedicated leader who can prepare incident response, coordinate cross-departmental action, and build resilience against future attacks.
Key Indicators: Security incidents are no longer hypothetical—they’re disrupting your operations or impacting customer trust.
5. Growth Has Outpaced Your Security Maturity
As companies scale—whether by expanding into new markets, onboarding enterprise customers, or enabling remote workers—the attack surface expands too. What worked as a piecemeal security strategy at 50 employees may collapse under the weight of 500. A CISO ensures that growth is matched with a scalable security architecture and culture.
Key Indicators: Your business is scaling faster than your security policies, making it hard to keep assets, data, and users properly protected.
Even if you’re not ready for a CISO, you still need cybersecurity.
Not every organization is at the stage where hiring a full-time CISO makes sense. Startups and small businesses may not have the budget—or the complexity—that warrants a dedicated executive role. But that doesn’t mean cybersecurity can sit on the back burner.
In fact, smaller and growing companies are often more attractive targets because attackers assume defenses are weaker.
Even without a CISO, you still need to address all of the same key cybersecurity layers that a larger corporation has to secure. Focus on building cybersecurity fundamentals through a combination of external expertise and internal accountability. You might (or might not) have an internal IT employee, but don’t make the mistake of forcing that person or team to shoulder total responsibility for your cybersecurity protection.
This is for two primary reasons: First, today, technology is the core engine of your company. Your IT team members make sure that engine continues to work smoothly. They manage the infrastructure most essential to your success. It’s highly likely you use various third-party technology solutions throughout your supply and value chain. Your IT department manages all that, too. Chances are excellent they’re also resetting numerous passwords and fixing the Wi-Fi and printers several times a week, as well.
The second reason is this: cybersecurity is a moving target. Referring back to the beginning of this article, the primary reason making cybersecurity decisions is so difficult is the sheer speed at which attacks evolve and compound. To ask an IT department to master your cybersecurity with everything else they have on their plate isn’t a good strategy if your goal is to avoid a breach.
So, what do you do?
Partner with a managed security service provider (MSSP) or cybersecurity consultant who can conduct a risk assessment, implement essential protections, and provide ongoing monitoring.
Designate an existing IT-savvy employee as your internal "security champion" to coordinate with external partners, manage day-to-day security policies, and ensure employee training and compliance.
Prioritize the basics first:
Multi-factor authentication
Regular software updates
Automated backups
Employee security awareness training
Cyber insurance
Many SMBs also benefit from fractional CISO services, where an experienced security executive provides strategic guidance on a part-time or project basis without the full-time cost. This hybrid approach allows you to build a security-conscious culture and establish proper protocols while staying within budget, creating a foundation that can eventually support a full-time CISO as your business grows.
The bottom line: every organization, regardless of size, is a target for cyber criminals, but the way you build, execute, and maintain your cyber security posture is not all-or-nothing—it’s a maturity journey. If a CISO is the long-term destination, sound baseline practices are the foundation that ensures your company survives and thrives until you’re ready for that leadership step. Not sure what you need to do first? We’re here to help!