Building a unified, integrated defense: The second major bucket list theme is breaking down the silos that perpetually plague security organizations. Application security (AppSec), cloud security (CloudSec) and governance, risk and compliance (GRC) groups all work from different spreadsheets and tools and often with different objectives. This model is inefficient, expensive and leaves massive gaps for attackers to exploit.CISOs aim to develop innovative processes and solutions that integrate disparate teams. As one leader eloquently described it to me, the ultimate goal is a “beautiful web of automations.” For example, this means automating control evidence across all security tools so that when an auditor requests proof of compliance, it’s generated in seconds, not through a three-week fire drill that diverts 10 analysts from their primary responsibilities.It’s a vision that allows all security functions to work together seamlessly, with AI correlating data from all sources to provide a single, unified picture of risk.This integration extends beyond the security team itself. A key priority is bringing “the harmony of security into legal” from a privacy perspective and deeply embedding compliance into security engineering. In a world of GDPR, CCPA and a patchwork of other regulations, privacy is no longer just a legal concern: it’s a core security and engineering challenge. The CISOs want to partner with their general counsels to embed privacy-by-design into the development life cycle, rather than just react to data breaches or privacy requests.This vision is also pragmatic. CISOs are tired of shelfware, the expensive, complex tools their teams are too busy to deploy correctly. Their list includes time for strategic problem-solving: digging into their existing platforms to find creative ways to up their game, rather than just chasing the next silver-bullet solution. It’s about creative engineering to build an environment that, as one CISO told me, “just works.”
Security as a human-led business enabler: Finally, the CISO bucket list is profoundly human. This begins with a profound shift in mindset, from being a gatekeeper to being a partner. Their ultimate objective is business enablement through effective risk management, freeing leaders from being dragged into operational tasks and allowing them to function as true C-suite peers. This requires investing time in understanding the business by sitting with product managers, joining sales calls and learning what drives revenue.While AI can automate tasks, it cannot build trust. CISOs are adamant about carving out time for human engagement, building relationships with partners, mentoring associates and collaborating with fellow executives. This is the irreplaceable human work that creates the political capital and cross-functional alignment needed to drive real change.This human-centric view is also the key to solving security’s most persistent challenge: the talent gap. The bucket list is filled with a passionate desire to invest in people. Internally, this means doubling down on talent that can grow and innovate. CISOs want to provide their team members with the time and budget to obtain the desired education credits and the space for genuine innovation. This isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a critical retention strategy. It’s how they keep their top analysts from burning out due to alert fatigue and empower them to solve the company’s most unique and challenging problems.Externally, this passion extends to giving back to the community, engaging with middle and high schools to cultivate the next generation of defenders and solving the talent pipeline problem at its root.By fostering an environment of learning and innovation, CISOs empower their people to achieve the final, and perhaps most important, item on their bucket list: the time to break and reinvent the inefficient security processes they have all observed and been forced to live with throughout their careers.
The future is human-led and AI-powered: Taken together, these bucket list themes paint a clear picture of the future of security leadership. It’s a future where CISOs are no longer just the chief defenders, but strategic business partners who cultivate resilience and enable innovation. Achieving this vision means shifting from chasing alerts to anticipating threats, empowering security professionals to do their most meaningful work and leveraging AI not to replace human expertise, but to amplify it.The goal is to build a security function that is as intelligent, adaptive and creative as the humans at its core. That is the future we should all strive for.This article is published as part of the Foundry Expert Contributor Network.Want to join?
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