Six ways CISO role is changing in 2025 (And what to do about it)

In the past three decades, CISOs have experienced a lot of change. From being passive advisors to the board to being active stakeholders in business decisions, the role has stepped out of the server rooms to live up to the “Chief” in the title. 

Yet, the role hasn’t evolved into the well-defined, meticulously crafted descriptions typical of other executive positions that have been refined over decades—CISOs are being expected to wear multiple hats. 

In fact, the CISO’s role today continues to be in flux, fueled by the heightening customer expectations, regulatory and compliance overhaul frenzy, the government’s increasing demand for personal liability and accountability, and the increasing need to secure the ever-increasing attack surface of digital businesses. 

Here are five ways your role as a CISO will change in 2025 and what you need to do about it. 

TL;DR

• CISOs are stepping into a future where influence is paired with unprecedented accountability.
• Compelling storytelling by CISOs is becoming crucial for aligning security goals with business objectives.
• Adopting Zero Trust Architecture is vital in a landscape where traditional security measures fall short.

1) CISOs will have a greater say. But disproportionately greater accountability.

There’s no doubt that CISOs today are enjoying a more excellent command in the boardroom than CISOs from a generation before. 

In fact, a report found that 47% of the CISOs reported directly to the CEO and had a greater say and presence on the board. Meanwhile, 90% of CISOs agreed that their board cares more about security today than it did two years ago.

However, even with that uptick in command and authority, it doesn’t justify the steep increase in legal accountability that now comes with it — one wrong move could mean more than job loss; it could lead to a federal investigation.

In 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission laid new rules that mandate the disclosure of a cybersecurity incident within four business days. With this update, CISOs will bear even more personal liability as they are tasked with reporting it, and any discrepancies in reporting can directly lead to scrutiny. 

With the recent action of the SEC against the CISOs of Uber and SolarWinds, not only do CISOs feel the mounting pressure to be absolutely precise while reporting incidents, but many believe that their role now demands them to turn into a “Fall guy in the face of a cyber incident.”

The greater personal liability will also create new dimensions of responsibility for security leaders – to tactically win the board’s blessings and buy-in for his security initiatives.  

This brings us to the next trend shifting in the role of CISO – boardroom diplomacy. 

2) From securing organizations to securing allegiance – Chief Risk Storyteller rises

Most (86%) of the CISOs believe their role is primarily to secure buy-in and allegiance. Sometimes, it’s buy-in from the board, sometimes it’s cooperation from the different departments, and at times, it is about securing the allegiance of all the employees towards security initiatives. 

For that, CISOs need to speak to people and translate the language of risk into the language they resonate with. The way a CISO might need to present the risk story might be very different from how it presents it to allied functions and employees of the company. 

With tightening regulations and increased personal liability, the art of storytelling will be the key to securing the support and cooperation needed to make security a priority. 

For the board that often only understands the language of business and numbers, this means aligning your story with it, too. 

For example:

Instead of saying this:	Say this:
“We did X & Y things to mitigate our threats.”	“We mitigated X vulnerability, reducing our impact from $X to $Y.”
“We implemented Y controls to meet X compliance criteria.”	“Our compliance efforts unlocked new market opportunities worth $X million.”
“We’ve identified risks in our IT systems.”	“We’ve identified risks that might cost $X in damages.”
“We optimized our incident response process.”	“We’ve cut recovery time from X hrs to Y, saving us $X in costs and potential lost revenue.”
“We achieved SOC 2 compliance.”	“Achieving SOC 2 compliance enabled up to $X million in contracts with Mid-market & Enterprise customers, leading to an expected revenue increase of $Y.”
“We handled compliance updates when necessary.”	“Our continuous GRC monitoring slashed compliance update time by X hours per quarter, accelerating customer acquisition and closing $Y in deals faster.”

For the board and your business counterparts like the CFO, you must reimagine your role as a strategic business driver with a measurable impact on the bottom line, building a case for each of your initiatives like this:

Your business case for your initiatives could look like this: 

GRC initiative	Opportunity unlocked in $	$ Pipeline accelerated	$ Saved in financial implications	$Saved in resource costs
SOC2	$5B	$30M	$50M
FedRAMP	$1.3B	$10M
Automating GRC			$1M	$2M

But the battle doesn’t end here: Once you’re done winning the board with your story, you’re yet to win the allegiance of internal teams, auditors, and, in some cases, customers. 

3) From Risk Managers to Compliance Gurus: CISOs will wear both hats equally

Historically, CISOs have been more involved in the jobs that mattered – right-sizing risks and rationalizing their management. Compliance was seen as a checklist activity by the board and the security leaders. 

However, the landscape is shifting in 2025. The recent breaches and security mishaps involving even big names like Microsoft, Okta, Meta, SolarWinds, and Uber highlighted the inadequacies of existing data security frameworks. 

Now, 84% of CISOs agree that their board equates security with regulatory compliance, which might account for the slight disparity in the importance placed on status and results from internal and/or regulatory compliance audits. As a result, in a recent survey, 48% of CISOs reported regularly presenting compliance and regulatory updates in board meetings. 

2024 saw major updates to compliance regulations like CMMC 2.0, EU AI regulations, DORA, and even NIS 2 that boiled down on every aspect, ranging from 3rd party vendors to tackling AI risk. And 2025 is speculated to see yet another round of framework overhauls. Words like DORA and NIS2 are now table stakes at board meetings across the globe. This trend is fuelling the demand for CISOs who are not just data security architects but have the on-ground expertise to help organizations launch, execute, and keep up with ever-changing regulations.

This means CISOs must be adept at crafting policies, planning and executing audits end-to-end, and helping the organization strategically use compliance as a key differentiator in winning consumer trust.  

4) CISOs will not just be the architects of trust but customer assurance chiefs, too

In a survey, they found out that some CISOs are getting more and more face-time with the potential prospects in the pipeline. When compared to an average sales executive, CISOs were at par. 

In the ever-expanding role of CISO, evangelism is a new one. Why? Trust is the new currency, and CISOs are the architects of trust. They are the ace of an organization’s resilience, and when they interact with external media, stakeholders, and the public, it breeds trust. 

The CISO-turned customer-facing evangelists secure their organizations by design—the product, software, systems, network, and culture. They are expected to have a deep understanding of the product development lifecycle and the charisma to convince external stakeholders of resilience. 

5) Just technical know-how won’t suffice; the times demand emotional resilience and intelligence

Data suggests that CISOs are working in pressure cooker-like environments. 88% of CISOs report experiencing significant stress due to the high-stakes nature of their work—the risk of indictment, job losses due to factors beyond their control, worsening geopolitical situations, and increasing state-sponsored threat actors. 

This environment demands not just technical acumen but also a profound capacity for emotional regulation, the ability to manage stress, and the ability to make tough calls even under pressure.

Not only that, but CISOs’ jobs sometimes depend on their ability to influence and guide people. According to a report from a Global leadership development firm, leaders who master empathy are 40% more likely to earn the trust and cooperation of their colleagues and team members, which fosters an atmosphere of transparency and productivity, something paramount for security teams. 

6) From architecting trust to championing Zero Trust Architecture

In the last two years, security breaches have surged by an alarming 38% globally, and 99% of those that led to a breach could be traced back to human error as the point of origin. 

When it comes to mitigating human risks, Zero Trust Architecture is the industry’s touted silver bullet. For instance, adopting Zero Trust has been associated with a 30% decrease in security incidents and a 40% reduction in the severity of security breaches. 

Yet, the path to implementation has been murky, slow, and rife with challenges for organizations worldwide. According to Forrester and Gartner, more than 63% of enterprises are struggling to implement zero-trust practices, and by 2026, it is predicted that only 10% of enterprises will have mature programs in place. 

In such an environment, a transformational CISO will spear the implementation of ZTA across SOCs and companies. A lot rides on their shoulders as they are the only ones who can secure the level of collaboration and executive buy-in, cultivate the right culture, and get pan-organization cooperation to implement ZTA initiatives from the ground up. 

The message is clear — the CISOs of 2025 need to embrace ZTA and become the trailblazers of security and resilience in their organizations. 

The Road Ahead

No longer confined to the shadows of technical operations, CISOs are emerging as front-line defenders of digital trust and strategic business enablers. With escalating responsibilities comes greater visibility but also heightened accountability and personal liability. The future demands CISOs who can seamlessly integrate their technical expertise with robust communication skills, regulatory acumen, and emotional intelligence to navigate the increasingly complex cyber terrain.

This transformation represents a shift from the traditional view of CISOs as mere data guardians to critical architects of business strategy and organizational culture. CISOs are increasingly becoming the face of security-enhancing customer trust and forging a competitive edge for their organizations.

However, the year 2025 will challenge CISOs to master new skills such as boardroom diplomacy and stay abreast of emerging technologies like zero-trust architecture, all while being more adaptable than ever in the face of evolving threats and business needs.

FAQ

What are the new responsibilities of CISOs in 2025?

In 2025, CISOs will be significantly more involved in strategic business decisions, focusing on comprehensive risk management across all business units and seamlessly integrating cybersecurity with core business objectives. They are expected to be proficient at aligning risk management and compliance strategies not just for security but as a means of generating business value. This involves balancing technical expertise with a deep understanding of business processes, market dynamics, and customer impacts, ensuring that security strategies enhance business resilience and contribute directly to the bottom line.

How has the role of CISOs expanded beyond IT security?

The role of CISOs has expanded significantly beyond traditional IT security to encompass a wide range of responsibilities that include data privacy, compliance, and overall organizational resilience. In 2025, CISOs are not only custodians of security but also pivotal in shaping company-wide culture and practices. They are increasingly recognized as champions of customer trust, managing liability effectively, and often serve as the public face of security for the company. This broader role makes them essential in strategic discussions, where they align security measures with business objectives to enhance both safety and business growth.

What skills are critical for CISOs in 2025?

Strategic thinking, business acumen, and communication skills, alongside traditional technical expertise, are crucial to aligning security measures with business goals and effectively communicating risks to stakeholders.

What technologies are shaping the CISO’s role in 2025?

By 2025, CISOs will be adeptly utilizing cutting-edge technologies to elevate security operations and refine threat intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) lead the charge, enhancing the ability to efficiently detect and respond to threats through deep analysis of vast data sets for anomalies. Zero trust architecture, integral to modern security strategies, adopts the “never trust, always verify” principle across all digital interactions, significantly shoring up defenses against insider threats and external breaches.