CIO-CSO tension makes businesses stronger

The relationship between the CIO and CSO (or CISO) can be fraught with tension – and that can be a good thing. Both executives play a critical role in your organization’s C-suite, and better understanding these sometimes overlapping roles can only make your business stronger and more secure.

Out of the shadows

In the past, the CSO, or CISO, depending on your organization’s language, was a role secondary to that of the CIO, the CFO or another C-suite executive. But as security becomes a more pressing concern, CSOs have come out of the shadows to take a separate, but equally important role at the executive table.

“That can be hard for other C-suite players to swallow; this role that once reported to them – whether it was an offshoot of the CIO’s role, or a CFO or even the CEO – is now a separate role with its own distinct priorities, budgets and concerns that sometimes appear to conflict with what other C-suite members’ priorities are,” says Zia Bhutta, co-founder and COO of consulting and strategic outsourcing firm Synechron.

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