Cybersecurity considerations for a CEO’s first month

With so many pressing issues requiring their attention, many newly appointed CEOs overlook the importance of cybersecurity in their first month or even first year on the job. That is a mistake.

A newly appointed CEO needs to ensure a CISO and their team are in place and working effectively while becoming familiar with the organization’s cyber risk posture, from its cyber risks and risk appetite to risk tolerance. Unfortunately, threat actors and cyber risks will not wait until a CEO is ready. Some cyber criminals may also view a leadership change as an opportunity to attack if they believe an organization is unprepared. This also concerns mergers and acquisitions. A cyber disaster could ruin a CEO; a cyber event leading to significant data loss, data theft, or business interruption may jeopardize the CEO’s reputation, position, career, revenue, and operations.

A newly appointed CEO should prioritize reviewing...