CISO Confidential: Speaking Exec – Tony on Turning Cyber Risk into Business Decisions

In this eye-opening episode of CISO Confidential, host Saket Modi sits down with Tony, a seasoned technology risk leader, to unpack one of his most vivid experiences: a SQL injection attack that triggered suspected customer data exfiltration.

Tony shares not just the technical details of the breach, but the human, cultural, and boardroom dynamics that unfold when systems are at risk. He emphasizes that cyber risk is not about red, yellow, or green - executives don’t speak in colors. They speak in dollars and decisions.

From incident response handoffs (security to legal, PR, and execs) to quantitative cyber risk modeling (CRQ), Tony explains how reframing risk in financial terms helps executives take decisive, proactive action.

🔥 Key Insights from Tony:

✔ Speak the language of business: CISOs must translate risk into dollars.

✔ Incident response is a company-wide effort - legal, PR, and executives matter as much as security.

✔ CRQ isn’t new - it’s actuarial science applied to cyber.

✔ Cooler heads prevail: practice through tabletop exercises.

✔ Risk isn’t the end goal - decisions are.

If you’ve ever struggled with how to get buy-in from the board or explain cyber risk in a way that secures real action, this episode is a must-listen.