CISOs vs. Boards: Myth or Misunderstanding?
Dark Reading, Friday, July 24th, 2026
Boards are not apathetic about security; CISOs and directors are struggling with a cybersecurity language barrier.
The article argues the rumors are exaggerated: executive boards are not apathetic to security threats but struggle with a language barrier.
Edna Conway, chief operating and risk officer at TPO Group and former Microsoft chief security and risk officer, says strong directors care deeply about cyber risk alongside the business's people and mission.
A Checkmarx report found 95% of CISOs feel pressured by management and boards to suppress security issues they uncover. CISOs want to get ahead of bad security news while boards focus on profits and growth, which is where the roles clash. Chris Novak of Quadrum Advisors notes many directors still treat security as an IT problem rather than an enterprise risk and resilience issue.