Structural obstacles for development
Taking the role of a cyber security leader is not only about personal skills, the way many companies are structured, it prevents mid -level security leaders from gaining the experience that they need to transfer to the CISO role. Myers indicate many systemic problems that make the effective succession scheme difficult.
“For a lot of cases, the CISO role for top jobs is still very different within the organization, whether they are reporting to Cio, CFO, or CEO,” she explains. “It limits strategic visibility and impact, which means that number two does not really receive executive risk or board-tier engagement, which is really necessary to step into that role.”
According to Myers, the issue deteriorates due to the way companies are installed. CISOS is often overseeing responsibilities, risk, compliance, governance, sellers, data privacy and crisis management. But cyber teams are usually lean and divided into narrow functions, so most depots only see a piece of picture. This limited view makes them difficult to see as really ready for top jobs.
