In recent years, cybersecurity has become a critical priority for organizations, with leaders like Jen Easterly and Phil Venables emphasizing its importance at the board level. The SEC has even considered making cybersecurity expertise a requirement for public companies. However, many professionals still seek practical guidance on how to secure a board seat.
George Kurtz, CEO of CrowdStrike, provides invaluable insights in his RSA Conference talk. Key recommendations include:
- Developing a well-rounded skillset – Avoid being perceived as only a technical expert; understand business strategy.
- Financial acumen – Align cybersecurity initiatives with the organization’s fiscal goals.
- Building cross-functional rapport – Engage with leaders outside of cybersecurity to demonstrate broader value.
- Leveraging industry networks – Stay prepared so you’re ready when the right opportunity arises.
For a deeper dive, watch the full talk: RSA Conference – George Kurtz on Board Readiness
You Should Know:
1. Developing a Well-Rounded Skillset
A CISO must balance technical expertise with business fluency. Key Linux commands to analyze security risks:
Check open ports and services
sudo netstat -tuln
Monitor system logs for anomalies
journalctl -u ssh --no-pager | grep "Failed password"
Audit file permissions
find / -type f -perm -o+w -exec ls -l {} \;
2. Financial Acumen for Cyber Leaders
Understand budgeting and ROI in cybersecurity:
Track resource usage per service (useful for cost analysis) systemd-analyze blame Check disk space to optimize storage costs df -h
3. Building Cross-Functional Rapport
Use collaboration tools to engage with non-technical teams:
Securely transfer reports to legal or finance teams
gpg -c --armor financial_report.xlsx
Automate executive summaries with log analysis
awk '/CRITICAL/{print}' /var/log/syslog > critical_events.txt
4. Leveraging Industry Networks
Stay updated with threat intelligence:
Fetch latest CVE data curl -s https://cve.mitre.org/data/downloads/allitems.csv | grep "CVE-2023" Monitor emerging threats with OSINT tools theHarvester -d example.com -b all
What Undercode Say:
Securing a board seat as a CISO requires more than just technical prowess—it demands business alignment, financial insight, and leadership presence. By mastering both cyber and corporate strategy, CISOs can position themselves as indispensable advisors.
Expected Output:
Example: Automating Board-Ready Reports !/bin/bash echo "=== Cybersecurity Risk Summary ===" > board_report.txt date >> board_report.txt echo "Top Vulnerabilities:" >> board_report.txt grep "High" /var/log/vuln_scan.log >> board_report.txt echo "Financial Impact:" >> board_output.txt du -sh /var/log/audit >> board_report.txt
Prediction:
As regulatory pressures increase, more CISOs will transition into board roles, blending cybersecurity expertise with governance and risk management. Organizations will prioritize leaders who can translate technical risks into business terms.
References:
Reported By: Resilientcyber Ciso – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
