Cybersecurity Chiefs Trade Corner Offices for Consulting Challenges

At a glance:

• Security Leaders Transition: Many experienced cybersecurity executives are leaving corporate jobs for consulting.
• Reputation and Experience: Former CISOs use their experience to advise a wider range of clients.
• Market Dynamics: Demand for specialized security knowledge is growing across industries.
• Autonomy and Flexibility: Consulting gives them more control over their schedules and projects.

A shift toward consulting

Many security executives are leaving full-time leadership roles for consulting work. Why?

What pushes CISOs out

A big reason is the threat environment. Attackers keep getting more sophisticated, and companies need specialized help. For former Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and other senior security people, consulting is a chance to use hard-earned experience across many businesses, each with its own problems.

Former executives say they like the variety.

What companies gain

Companies hiring these consultants get a wide range of experience instead of relying only on in-house teams. Consultants bring fresh eyes and practical advice drawn from many industries.

The trend also fits a wider shift in the job market toward hiring outside specialists for specific problems. Consulting can be cheaper and more effective, especially for smaller companies that can’t afford a full-time CISO.

More control over the work

Consultants also get a better work-life balance than many executives have, since they can set their own schedules, pick the projects that interest them and work with several clients at once, and many experienced professionals value that break from being on call around the clock for a single company’s incidents.

The shift is changing how businesses and security experts work together. As more leaders work as consultants, traditional career paths in security may change too.

What it means for security careers

The move from executive roles to consulting changes how security expertise is shared and paid for. Companies and security leaders will both need to adjust.

Done well, the arrangement improves companies’ security and gives experienced leaders more rewarding careers. It also raises a larger question about how companies will find and keep security leadership in the future.

Frank Jones, CISSP

Frank Jones has loved computers from the age of 13. Frank got his hacking career started when he downloaded a war dialing program that he used to detect dial up modems in his hometown of Chicago. Frank Jones now works as a JAVA coder and cyber security researcher.