CISOs Spend 10+ Hours on Board Reports: 71% of Leaders Report Time Spent

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71% of Chief Information Security Officers dedicate more than ten hours weekly to preparing board reports, according to a recent analysis of cybersecurity leadership challenges.

The CISO-Board Communication Gap

The study highlights a persistent disconnect between technical security operations and executive decision-making, with board members demanding tangible evidence that security frameworks and infrastructure effectively minimize organizational risks. This requires translating complex technical metrics into business-focused language, a process that consumes significant time and resources for security leaders.

Third-Party Security Scores and Baseline Challenges

The Pulse Security AI report on CISO-board communication revealed that 42% of security professionals had to justify third-party security scores within the past year, underscoring the increasing scrutiny of external risk factors. Mike Armistead, CEO of Pulse Security AI, emphasized that the core issue lies in the absence of a defined cyber risk baseline.

“You cannot report status against a baseline that was never set,” he stated.

This lack of standardized metrics forces security leaders to navigate ambiguous expectations, complicating efforts to align technical outcomes with strategic business goals.

Confidence and Governance Shortcomings

Confidence in board-level understanding of security programs remains low, with only 12.5% of CISOs expressing high assurance that executives accurately grasp the state of their organization’s security posture after presentations. Most security leaders reported moderate or neutral confidence, citing gaps in contextual clarity and actionable insights.

Material Incidents and Proactive Risk Management

The research found that material security incidents tended to bolster board trust, while simulated exercises involving security teams enhanced leadership credibility more effectively than traditional briefings. Governance shortcomings further hinder effective oversight, as many boards rely on intuitive judgments rather than measurable data.

Over half of surveyed organizations lacked formal processes for accepting, mitigating, or transferring cyber risks, while 50% of boards did not explicitly address these factors in the previous year.

Data Integration and Risk Assessment

Security leaders also noted that concerns about personal legal liability influence how they frame risk discussions, leading to cautious or incomplete disclosures. The study also identified a reliance on qualitative risk assessments rather than quantifiable financial impacts, with many organizations failing to establish predefined thresholds for escalating cyber incidents to executive leadership.

Standardized Frameworks and Operational Structures

Board conversations frequently focus on historical events rather than proactive risk management strategies, limiting opportunities for strategic intervention. Security professionals emphasized the need for improved data integration and standardized frameworks to bridge the communication gap.

“You cannot assemble a clear picture of the business when the underlying information lives in a dozen disconnected places,” stated Armistead.

While CISOs have earned a seat at the table, the report underscores the necessity of foundational operational structures to support informed decision-making.