Why CEOs Should Understand Cybersecurity

Tri-C's Charles Dull talks about the importance of high-level cyber threat awareness

Just about every company uses the internet to conduct business in some form. Whether you’re storing critical data on cloud servers or simply marketing your services via your website and social media, every company is online to some degree. And with that presence come cybersecurity risks.

CEOs and their C-suite colleagues are likely aware that online security threats exist, but in a recent Smart Business Cleveland article, Charles Dull said the need to stay current and speak to specifics is more important than ever.

“Most CEOs would know whether their organization has a cybersecurity plan in place,” said Dull, associate dean of the IT Center of Excellence at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®). “But go one level deeper and ask what it contains, and most aren’t able to explain much.”

Dull told Smart Business that because C-suite executives represent important links in the communication chain with company boards, customers and vendors, they must be able to speak to the specific cybersecurity risks facing the company. They must also be able to accurately explain the plans in place to mitigate those risks and protect vital data.

As the people ultimately in charge of spending the company’s money, Dull adds that CEOs are also tasked with funding cybersecurity initiatives, making their role in maintaining a secure online presence all the more pivotal.

“CEOs are always concerned with dollars and often want to know what return they’ll get from an investment,” Dull said. “When an expensive upgrade is required to improve an organization’s defense system, CEOs should have a reasonable sense of the requirements to make the right choice for the business.

“And, should the business face an attack, it’s better to have a CEO who knows enough to enable the IT staff to quickly address the issue rather than squabble over costs to a critical system or software.”

Click here to read the full article.

January 07, 2021

Erik Cassano, 216-987-3577 or erik.cassano@tri-c.edu