The Most Important Job of a vCSO (And It’s Not What You Think)
Stop.
Whatever security initiative you’re focused on—patching systems, reviewing controls, running audits—put it on hold for a second. Because if you’re not doing this one thing, none of the rest will matter.
What’s your most important job as a vCSO?
Is it making sure compliance requirements are met? Is it reviewing security tools and policies? Responding to the latest cyber threats?
Those are all critical, but they are not the job that determines whether you succeed or fail. If you think your role is just about managing security controls, you’re missing the bigger picture.
Your Real Job? Educating Executives on Risk
Most leadership teams don’t understand cyber risk the way security professionals do. They see cybersecurity as a cost center, not a business enabler. They assume that insurance, an IT team, and a firewall mean they are covered. They equate compliance with security.
But the most dangerous assumption of all is that cyber risk is someone else’s problem. And when leadership assumes security is an IT issue rather than a business risk, nothing changes—until it is too late.
The vCSO’s Job: Make Risk Real for the Boardroom
A vCSO’s role is not just to identify risks but to make executives understand why they matter. Yet, many vCSOs fail to communicate risk in a way that resonates with leadership.
Far too often, boardroom discussions become technical briefings. An IT leader walks into a meeting and starts talking about CVEs, MFA policies, firewall rules, and SIEM alerts. Executives nod along, but they don’t ask questions. The meeting ends, nothing changes, and the organization remains vulnerable.
That happens because the conversation fails to connect cybersecurity to business outcomes. Security discussions need to be framed in terms of financial impact, operational disruptions, and reputational damage. When risk is presented in a way that leadership understands, executives take action.
That is what separates great vCSOs from the rest.
Training, Not Trial by Fire
The boardroom is not the place to practice messaging. If a vCSO walks into an executive meeting unprepared to communicate risk effectively, they will lose the room. Communicating cybersecurity to leadership requires a structured approach and a proven framework for discussing risk in a way that drives action.
This is why training and certification programs like the Certified Cyber Risk Strategist (CCRS) exist.
The Benefits of Becoming a CCRS
The Certified Cyber Risk Strategist (CCRS) program, developed by Galactic Advisors, is designed for vCSOs, security leaders, and IT professionals who need to move beyond technical security and become effective business risk communicators.
When a vCSO has the right training and framework, they can walk into a boardroom with the confidence to lead risk discussions, frame cybersecurity as a business issue, and secure executive buy-in for necessary security initiatives. Training in this area enables vCSOs to translate security threats into financial and operational impacts, making it clear how cyber risks affect revenue, compliance, and overall business continuity.
When a vCSO has the right training and framework, they can walk into a boardroom with the confidence to lead risk discussions, frame cybersecurity as a business issue, and secure executive buy-in for necessary security initiatives. Training in this area enables vCSOs to translate security threats into financial and operational impacts, making it clear how cyber risks affect revenue, compliance, and overall business continuity.
Executives do not make decisions based on vulnerability reports. They act when they see how security failures could result in millions in legal fees, regulatory fines, lost business, or irreparable reputational damage. A structured approach to risk communication ensures that security recommendations are not ignored but prioritized.
Security leaders who have a repeatable process for discussing risk drive real change. They know how to gain approval for security budgets, implement stronger controls, and turn executive awareness into tangible security improvements. Without a clear communication strategy, even the most pressing security issues will be overlooked.
If You’re Not Leading the Risk Conversation, Who Is?
The difference between vCSOs who succeed and those who struggle is not their technical expertise. It is their ability to make executives care. That takes training, strategy, and a repeatable process. Without it, vCSOs are left fighting an uphill battle, trying to explain security risks to executives who do not see the connection to business impact.
The CCRS certification provides security leaders with the confidence, clarity, and tools to lead executive-level security conversations and get real results. Without this capability, even the best security programs will fail to gain the executive support needed to implement real change.
Other Programs That Can Help Build These Skills
While the CCRS is one of the most effective certifications for helping vCSOs communicate risk, there are other programs that provide valuable training in cybersecurity sales and executive communication.
Some of these include:
PSA (Professional Sales Academy) Selling Risk Sales Training Bootcamp – Focused on sales professionals, this program helps cybersecurity leaders refine their messaging and sales approach when discussing risk with executives.
Janek Performance Group – Tech Sales Course – A training course designed to teach technical professionals how to communicate value and sell solutions effectively.
ELB Learning – Cyber Security Awareness Training – Focused on broader security awareness and education, this program helps security leaders reinforce key cybersecurity messaging across an organization.
The best vCSOs do not just understand security. They know how to communicate its value in a way that executives understand. Without that skill, security leaders will always struggle to gain the buy-in needed to properly defend an organization.
If leadership does not understand the financial, legal, and operational risks associated with cybersecurity failures, they will not invest in the right protections. And if vCSOs cannot explain those risks in a way that resonates, executives will not listen until it is too late.
Final Thoughts
Cybersecurity is not just an IT issue—it is a business risk. That means vCSOs must be more than security experts; they must be strategic communicators who can articulate risk in a way that moves executives to action.
Security leaders who rely on technical explanations alone will continue to be ignored in the boardroom. Those who understand how to connect cyber risk to business impact will secure budgets, improve security postures, and lead organizations toward proactive security strategies.
There is no trial-and-error when it comes to discussing cybersecurity with executives. vCSOs who invest in training will always be better positioned to drive real security change.
Because cybersecurity is not just about protecting systems. It is about protecting businesses. And that starts at the executive level.