5 Questions every CEO must ask their CISO

1. What is our current cybersecurity posture, and are we prepared to handle the latest threats?

This question ensures the CEO understands the organization’s overall risk level, the effectiveness of its defenses, and readiness to handle evolving threats like ransomware, AI-driven attacks, or insider threats.

2. Are we compliant with all relevant cybersecurity regulations and standards?

CEOs need to confirm that the company complies with regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, PCI DSS, or industry-specific standards to avoid legal penalties and reputational damage.

3. How are we addressing cybersecurity risks within our supply chain and third-party vendors?

With many breaches originating from third parties, this question ensures the CISO prioritizes vetting and monitoring vendor security to reduce exposure from the supply chain.

4. How quickly can we detect, respond to, and recover from a cyberattack?

This assesses the organization’s incident response plan, response times (MTTD/MTTR), and the CISO’s confidence in minimizing downtime and reputational impact during an attack.

5. Are we investing adequately in cybersecurity, and how do we measure ROI?



CEOs must ensure cybersecurity investments are proportionate to the risk level and aligned with business goals. They should also ask how the effectiveness of these investments is tracked.