Netskope published a new report analyzing the evolution of the industrial sector CISO role. ‘The Industrial CISO: Bringing Balance' is based on research with over 1,000 CISOs globally, and it explores the evolution of the industrial sector CISO role as a strategic member of the executive team, comparing the sector to cross-sector averages to identify unique insights into automotive, manufacturing, logistics and critical national infrastructure organizations.

The research found that the CISO role in the industrial sectors is undergoing a transformation:

• 60% of CISO respondents in the industrial sectors said that their role was changing rapidly (compared with 65% across all industries, and 80% in finance).   
• Just under two-thirds (63%) want to play a more active role as a business enabler going forward (compared to an average of 67%).
• 50% of industrial sector CISOs say their appetite for risk has grown in recent years (lower than the average of 57%). 
  

...however, the majority of industrial sector CISOs report that there is a lag in the understanding of their potential among their C-suite peers...

• Six in ten industrial sector CISOs (61%) believe that other members of the C-suite fail to see that the CISO role makes innovation possible.
• 91% of industrial sector CISOs said that conflicting risk appetites is an issue in their C-suite.
  

Just half of industrial sector CISOs (51%) believe a zero trust approach will enable them to balance conflicting priorities better (lower than cross-sector averages of 55%, and significantly lower than the finance sector's 68%). And only 39% of CISOs from industrial organizations report that they operate with zero trust principles today (lower than the 44% cross-sector averages).

The report also found that as industrial sector CISOs grow in confidence in their evolved role, they expect to base their decisions in the years ahead on creating a more closed and secure organization. This runs counter to all other sectors analyzed (finance, retail and healthcare) which are all planning to create a more open and flexible organization. 

• Industrial CISOs anticipate strongly prioritizing protection for the workforce over flexibility of the workforce when making productivity decisions.
• Risk minimisation is expected to become prioritized over experimentation at speed.
• Industrial sector CISOs tended slightly more toward measured, centralized decisions with high levels of governance over agile, fast decision-making with devolved responsibilities.
• When it comes to business process and efficiency, industrial CISOs intend to take a more controlled approach to restricting access to the right people for the information, data, and tools they need.
  

Commenting on the findings, James Robinson, CISO at Netskope said: 

"The research makes it clear that CISOs in the industrial sector are generally hungry to play a more proactive role that enables innovation while also protecting the business. In my experience, the best way to make CISOs more proactive partners across the C-suite is to gain deep understanding of the business challenges C-suite colleagues are focused on solving and align those to security strategies, rather than attempt to assert security strategy - or individual technology choices - on what is perceived to be C-suite risk appetite."

"Too often this alignment doesn't occur among teams. But CISOs who are able to define the ways they are helping their C-suite peers to acquire new revenues, drive efficiencies and navigate regulatory requirements, will be recognized as valuable contributors at the highest levels."