Bridging Security and Business: Insights from Onyxia’s 2024 CISO Research

Insights and Key Takeaways

Bridging Security and Business in the Role of the CISO

Insight: As cybersecurity gains visibility in the boardroom, the role of the CISO has shifted from a purely technical focus to a central business function.

Today, CISOs must be adept at translating complex security strategies into business language that executive teams understand and support.

This evolution requires a deep understanding of company objectives, as well as the ability to communicate the direct impact of security efforts on business performance.

By positioning themselves as business strategists, CISOs can influence budget allocation, gain executive buy-in, and ensure security is viewed as a core business enabler rather than a siloed technical function.

CISOs who actively align their strategies with company objectives are better positioned to secure resources, defend their programs, and enhance cross-functional collaboration.

When CISOs adopt a business-first mindset, they’re able to demonstrate security’s value as a revenue-protecting and risk-reducing function, rather than a mere cost center.

Marketing and sales teams should consider how security directly impacts business value when engaging with CISOs.

By framing products and solutions in terms of business risk and return, rather than just technical features, GTM teams can speak to CISOs’ expanded roles and their need to justify expenditures in business terms.

Importance of Community and Knowledge Sharing Among CISOs

Insight: In cybersecurity, where new threats and regulations emerge constantly, CISOs benefit greatly from community-driven knowledge and standardized best practices.

Onyxia Cyber’s platform supports this by giving CISOs a space to compare their practices, KPIs, and approaches to industry challenges.

This peer-supported model not only aids individual CISOs but helps standardize security benchmarks across the industry.

Standardization and shared best practices save CISOs from reinventing the wheel and offer benchmarks that align security measures across the industry, creating a common language and higher transparency.

This community-driven model empowers CISOs to navigate complex challenges with confidence, knowing they can rely on the collective experience of peers who face similar issues.

Access to shared knowledge can also help streamline processes, accelerate compliance with new regulations, and foster trust between the security and executive teams.

A solution’s credibility often increases when it’s informed by real-world use cases and peer experiences.

Marketing and sales teams should leverage testimonials, case studies, and industry benchmarks in their messaging to CISOs, highlighting the value of peer-driven insights in tackling shared security challenges.

Dynamic Security Management Over “Balance”

Insight: Rather than striving for an impossible “balance,” CISOs should aim for “dynamic harmony” in security management.

This concept, introduced by Sivan in our episode, emphasizes flexibility and real-time prioritization over static balance.

As business priorities shift, so must the focus of security programs—sometimes emphasizing awareness, other times focusing on detection and response. This ongoing adjustment is key to building a resilient security posture.

Rigid security strategies can limit an organization’s ability to respond to emerging threats and regulatory demands.

By cultivating flexibility, CISOs can ensure security efforts remain aligned with business changes, maintaining both protection and agility.

This adaptive approach requires a mindset shift across the organization. Security teams that operate flexibly are better able to reallocate resources, focus on high-priority areas, and avoid burnout.

This approach, which could be considered a type of “cyber agility,” enables the organization to prioritize critical threats without sacrificing other security initiatives.

When promoting security solutions, GTM teams should focus on adaptability, highlighting how their tools enable real-time adjustments to meet changing business and security needs.

Positioning products as part of a flexible ecosystem can appeal to CISOs focused on balancing evolving threats with operational objectives.

Automation as the Key to Managing Complexity and Justifying Security Investments

Insight: Managing and interpreting vast amounts of data from various security products can be overwhelming for CISOs.

Onyxia addresses this by automating data gathering and providing analytics that tie security investments to measurable improvements.

This functionality enables CISOs to justify their budgets, showing a direct correlation between security initiatives and business impact.

Automation not only streamlines data analysis but also empowers CISOs to make a compelling case for future investments by demonstrating tangible ROI.

This transparency is vital for securing long-term executive support given increasing budget constraints in the space.

By providing CISOs with predictive insights and KPI-based reports, Onyxia enables security teams to optimize spending and adjust strategies proactively.

This data-driven approach allows CISOs to present security not as a cost burden but as an investment in the company’s resilience and longevity.

GTM messaging should emphasize how automation streamlines security management, delivering quantifiable results that support budget justification and strategic alignment.

Highlighting the ease of use, ROI, and predictive capabilities of automation tools can resonate with CISOs who are increasingly accountable to the C-suite.

The Power of Continuous Customer Conversations

Insight: Onyxia’s success is rooted in continuous customer engagement, where regular interactions with CISOs allow the platform to evolve with real-world needs.

This ongoing feedback loop means that Onyxia can prioritize updates, features, and KPIs that CISOs find most valuable. Rather than a one-and-done customer interview approach, Tejila emphasizes continuous dialogue to adapt to changing conditions and regulatory landscapes.

Regular customer engagement fosters trust, loyalty, and a product that evolves in sync with the challenges customers face.

For GTM teams, continuous feedback is an invaluable source of insights that can be leveraged across messaging, product development, and customer support.

This customer feedback loop creates a sense of co-creation between Onyxia and its users, which in turn makes customers feel heard, respected, and valued.

As CISOs encounter new challenges, this ongoing engagement enables Onyxia to remain a trusted partner rather than a static solution provider.

This approach can also improve customer retention, as it reduces friction in implementing new or enhanced features based on real user input.

Positioning products as customer-driven solutions, with ongoing improvements based on user feedback, builds credibility and customer loyalty.

Messaging should reflect a commitment to continuous improvement and partnership with users, appealing to CISOs who prioritize long-term support and a solution that evolves with their needs.

My Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from speaking with security professionals, just as Sivan has, it’s that this industry is anything but static.

CISOs are no longer just security officers; they’re business partners, strategists, and, sometimes, the last line of defense in a crisis.

And the truth is, we’re not doing enough to keep pace with their evolving needs.

I’ve spent years in this space, and I’ve seen firsthand how easy it is to get caught up in “what’s hot”—the latest features, the shiniest dashboards, the most complex algorithms.

But in the process, we lose sight of the reality that CISOs face every day: they need tools that are simple, actionable, and genuinely helpful in their battle to protect the company’s mission.

They don’t have time for fluff. They need solutions that actually work, solutions that help them make smarter decisions, not just flashier ones.

What strikes me most in my conversations with CISOs is how isolated many of them feel, even as their responsibilities grow.

And yet, they keep showing up, pushing for change, doing the work because they know how high the stakes are.

I believe that as marketers, sellers, and product builders, it’s on us to rise to that level of commitment.

That means listening more closely, building genuine relationships, and delivering solutions that make an actual difference in their lives.

So here’s my challenge to everyone reading this: let’s create more than just products.

Let’s build partnerships that respect the unique challenges and pressures these leaders face.

Let’s keep it real, stay close to our customers, and work with them to create the future they need—one that’s collaborative, resilient, and a little less lonely.

Until next time,
Dani