The Top CISO Stories from Around the Web : December 2025

As we close the chapter on 2025, the role of the CISO continues to undergo a fundamental transformation from technical defender to strategic business anchor. This month’s roundup explores how security leaders are navigating the shift toward AI-driven resilience, forging critical cross-functional partnerships, and securing their own professional standing in an increasingly litigious landscape. Stay ahead of the curve with these five essential stories that defined the industry this December.

A CISO’s Guide to Future-Proofing Security

Source: Microsoft

To future-proof security in an era of shrinking budgets, CISOs must shift from siloed products to integrated ecosystems and transition from reactive to proactive stances using AI-driven tools. Key strategies include prioritizing data classification to protect "crown jewels," fostering a security-first culture where every employee is responsible, and leveraging automation to enhance response speed and operational resilience.

The 5 Power Skills Every CISO Needs to Master in the AI Era

Source: CSO

There are five essential "power skills" for CISOs in the AI era, with human judgment and communication becoming even more critical as technical tasks are automated. To thrive, security leaders must master data fluency, risk literacy, executive communication, cross-functional collaboration, and ethical foresight to effectively align AI-driven security with business objectives.

The CISO-COO Partnership: Protecting Operational Excellence

Source: Dark Reading

As digital transformation makes cyberattacks an existential threat to business continuity, CISOs and COOs must build a strategic partnership to ensure operational resilience. By aligning security protocols with critical business processes and establishing joint incident response plans, the CISO and COO can transform cybersecurity from a technical hurdle into a shared pillar of operational excellence.

D&O liability protection rising for security leaders — unless you’re a midtier CISO

Source: CSO

While Directors' and Officers' (D&O) liability protection for CISOs is generally on the rise, a significant gap exists for security leaders at midsize firms, who are far less likely to be indemnified than their Fortune 1000 counterparts. This lack of legal protection exposes mid-tier CISOs to personal financial and professional risks. Experts emphasize that CISOs must advocate for formal indemnification agreements and carefully review insurance policies to ensure they are explicitly covered as "insured persons."

Cybersecurity Lessons from 2025 We Cannot Ignore in 2026

Source: Intelligent CISO

This year highlighted a critical need for organizations to shift from reactive to proactive cybersecurity strategies by leveraging AI-driven defenses and fostering a culture of continuous security awareness. As threats become more sophisticated, the key lessons from 2025 involve prioritizing supply chain resilience and integrating security into the core of business operations to stay ahead in 2026.