Technical Advice

"The CIO’s Guide to Communicating with the Board"

2025-02-08

Image credit: Freepik

Bridging the gap between technical detail and business impact is a core CIO skill. Here’s how to make cyber and IT a board-level priority.

Focus on Business Impact

Frame cyber risks in business terms:

• “If this system is down, these services stop, and revenue is at risk.”
• Use plain English, not acronyms.

Quantify Risk Where Possible

Boards respond to numbers:

• Give clear metrics (e.g. likely cost of a breach, time to recover).
• If you can’t measure it, give a well-reasoned estimate.

Be Honest, But Propose Solutions

Don’t sugarcoat challenges, but always bring an action plan:

• “We’re seeing increased ransomware attempts, and here’s how we’re reducing our exposure.”

Make IT Part of Strategy

Position IT and security as enablers of business growth and continuity, not just cost centres.

The board doesn’t need to be technical. They need to be informed and ready to act.