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Beyond the Buzzwords: How to Translate Cybersecurity Threats for Executive Understanding

Protecting the hive.
Harsha Bellur
Contributing CIO
honeycomb cells natural background

Zero Trust, DDoS, Spoofing, Botnet, Attack Vector — this is a common parlance for technology and cybersecurity professionals. We are steeped in this vocabulary, often using these terms to define and measure the state of our security programs. However, from an executive standpoint, these buzzwords don’t necessarily translate into knowing the business impact, often resulting in an incomplete or inaccurate perception of cyber health.

So, how can leaders ensure they are communicating a realistic state of their cyber security program for their executives and board members?

Focus on Risk, not Controls

 A common practice in reporting the state of a cyber program begins with an assessment of a security framework (CISA, NIST, CIS etc.) and adherence to that standard. The communication typically includes the controls implemented per the standard and a roadmap for what is to be done.

Although this is important from a security team’s perspective, it fails to articulate the key business risks for an executive audience.

The executive leadership and the board of directors are best served if they are informed on the approach to risk identification, quantification, and mitigation in the context of business operations.  


A control-focused communication might sound like this:

We’ve implemented multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all critical systems, installed the latest firewalls, and updated antivirus software. We’re also conducting quarterly vulnerability scans.”

Contrast that with a risk-focused communication:

“Our biggest cyber risk right now is the potential for a ransomware attack that could shut down operations for several days, costing millions in revenue. We have implemented multi-factor authentication and stronger firewalls across our critical systems that have reduced the likelihood of unauthorized access to our critical systems by 30%.”  


By framing the discussion around risk, the executives have a clearer understanding of the business implications, rather than just the technical controls.

This allows for meaningful discussion about the organization’s risk appetite and strategic priorities while enabling a common understanding of the state of their cyber security program. 

Report on Resilience

Multi-layer Defense, Defense in Depth, and other similar terms are often used to describe a cybersecurity strategy. This approach is excellent when it comes to prevention.

Resilience, however, is about ensuring that the business can continue operations, even in the face of a successful breach or disruption. It is important for executives to be aware of any risks that could hinder the organization’s ability to rapidly and efficiently recover in case of such an event.

On the technical side, teams can report on metrics such as backup cadence, air gaps, geographical diversity, RPO, RTO etc. Again, this may not necessarily provide context from a business perspective. The executive audience is more likely to be interested in questions such as:

  • How quickly can we detect a breach?
  • Have we tested our incident response through table-top or other simulated exercises?
  • How much downtime will we experience?
  • Can we ensure critical services remain functional?

There is consensus amongst security professionals that a cyber event is not a matter of IF, but WHEN. Focusing on prevention alone may mislead executives into developing a false sense of security.  

When presenting on the state of cyber health to an executive audience, it’s crucial to focus on the organization’s ability to withstand, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents, rather than solely preventing them.

Capitalize on the News

The daily headlines of breaches and technology outages are constant. Regardless of the state of the cyber program within the organization, executives are sure to be concerned about potential disruptions to their business due to cyber events. When details of security incidents are available, it’s a great practice to engage your executive team and review the event(s) by addressing the following questions.

  • What was the attack vector, are we susceptible to the same attack?
  • If our environment was exploited, how soon would that have been detected?  (alternately, you can also discuss the controls in place that would prevent such an exploit). 
  • What would have been the business impact if it was a successful attack? (Alternatively, you can discuss why this would not be a risk for the business)
  • Does our incident response plan account for such a scenario?

In essence, this is a form of simulated exercise that allows organizations to benchmark to an actual event.

As the saying goes, learn from the mistakes of others. 

This not only gives the technical teams an actual use case to simulate but also proactively engages the executive teams to reassure them of the strength (or opportunities) of the cyber program as it relates to the business. 

The Wrap

Cybersecurity is now considered as an enterprise risk and has gained the attention of executives and board of directors alike. Technology and security leaders are dealing with the increasing pressures of the evolving threat landscape, regulatory changes, and the complexity of interconnected systems.

Ultimately, by framing cybersecurity in terms of risk and resilience, executives can make more informed decisions, allocate resources effectively, and confidently navigate the challenges of cybersecurity.  

This approach transforms cybersecurity from a technical issue to a core business priority, where executives play a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s preparedness.

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