Ep154: Presenting Security to the Board of Directors with CISOs from Gusto and MongoDBs

Experienced CISOs from MongoDB and Gusto reveal proven frameworks for translating complex cybersecurity metrics into board-friendly presentations that drive decision-making.

Topics Include:

• Security leaders discuss challenges of presenting technical cybersecurity topics to boards
• MongoDB CISO presents three times in six months, Gusto director five times
• Three-angle metrics framework: environmental threats, prevention quality, and detection/response speed capabilities
• Board members switch contexts frequently, requiring extensive education and simplified heat maps
• Repeatable presentation models help board members follow consistent data across meetings
• Audit committees get different depth than general board updates on programs
• New technologies like AI require educating boards on risks versus opportunities
• Foundational security principles like zero trust remain constant regardless of technology
• Security buzzwords need translation appendices since board members forget technical definitions
• Financial services background helps translate cyber risks into dollar amounts boards understand
• Third-party penetration testing provides independent validation but requires vendor rotation strategies
• Limited 30-minute board time means trusting security leaders' vendor diligence decisions
• First-time CISOs should educate on threat landscape then tailor strategy to company
• Balance discussing shiny new technologies with essential foundational security blocking and tackling
• AI implementation spans customer features, infrastructure security, and augmenting security capabilities internally

Participants:

• Sean Josephson - Sr. Director of Information Security, Gusto
• Julien Soriano – Sr. Vice President, CISO, MongoDB
• Gee Rittenhouse - Vice President, Security Services, Amazon Web Services

Further Links:

• Gusto: Website – LinkedIn
• MongoDB: Website – LinkedIn – AWS Marketplace

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