What’s important to the CISO in 2026: PwC

What’s important to the CISO in 2026: PwC Skip to content Skip to footer Featured insights Capabilities Industries Technology About us Careers More

Search Menu

Featured insights Featured insights 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights Survey Board governance issues C-suite insights Case studies Policy on Demand Podcasts PwC Executive Pulse Tech Effect Viewpoint Webcasts All Research and insights Menu

Featured insights 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights Survey Menu

Featured insights Board governance issues Menu

Featured insights C-suite insights Board of directors Chief AI Officer (CAIO) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Controller Corporate development Legal officer Sustainability leader Tax leader Menu

Featured insights Case studies Menu

Featured insights Policy on Demand Menu

Featured insights Podcasts Menu

Featured insights PwC Executive Pulse Menu

Featured insights Tech Effect Menu

Featured insights Viewpoint Menu

Featured insights Webcasts Menu

Featured insights All Research and insights

Featured

America in motion Executive leadership hub - What’s important to the C-suite? Menu

Capabilities Capabilities Audit and Assurance Alliances and ecosystems Artificial Intelligence (AI) Board governance issues Consulting Cybersecurity, Risk and Regulatory Deals Digital assets and crypto Digital assurance and transparency Engineering & AI Enterprise Strategy Financial Markets & Real Estate Finance and Accounting Financial statement audit Front Office Managed Services Metaverse Operations PwC Private Risk Modeling Services Sustainability and ESG Tax services Workforce All capabilities Menu

Capabilities Audit and Assurance Menu

Capabilities Alliances and ecosystems Adobe Amazon Web Services Google Guidewire Microsoft Oracle Salesforce SAP Workday All alliances Menu

Capabilities Artificial Intelligence (AI) Menu

Capabilities Board governance issues Menu

Capabilities Consulting Menu

Capabilities Cybersecurity, Risk and Regulatory Menu

Capabilities Deals Menu

Capabilities Digital assets and crypto Menu

Capabilities Digital assurance and transparency Menu

Capabilities Engineering & AI Menu

Capabilities Enterprise Strategy Menu

Capabilities Financial Markets & Real Estate Menu

Capabilities Finance and Accounting Menu

Capabilities Financial statement audit Menu

Capabilities Front Office Menu

Capabilities Managed Services Menu

Capabilities Metaverse Menu

Capabilities Operations Menu

Capabilities PwC Private Family enterprises Law firms Private equity and portfolio companies Ultra high net worth individuals US inbounds Menu

Capabilities Risk Modeling Services Menu

Capabilities Sustainability and ESG ESG reporting Sustainability strategy Sustainable technology and digital Menu

Capabilities Tax services Menu

Capabilities Workforce Menu

Capabilities All capabilities Menu

Industries Industries Aerospace and defense Asset and wealth management Automotive Banking and capital markets Chemicals Consumer markets Consumer packaged goods Energy Energy and industrials Engineering and construction Financial services Gaming Health industries Health services Hospitality and leisure Industrial manufacturing Insurance Media Medical technology Pharmaceutical and life sciences Power and utilities Private equity Real estate Restaurants, wholesale and agriculture Retail Space Sports Technology Technology, media and telecommunications Telecommunications Travel, transportation and logistics Menu

Industries Aerospace and defense Menu

Industries Asset and wealth management Menu

Industries Automotive Menu

Industries Banking and capital markets Menu

Industries Chemicals Menu

Industries Consumer markets Menu

Industries Consumer packaged goods Menu

Industries Energy Menu

Industries Energy and industrials Menu

Industries Engineering and construction Menu

Industries Financial services Menu

Industries Gaming Menu

Industries Health industries Menu

Industries Health services Menu

Industries Hospitality and leisure Menu

Industries Industrial manufacturing Menu

Industries Insurance Menu

Industries Media Menu

Industries Medical technology Menu

Industries Pharmaceutical and life sciences Menu

Industries Power and utilities Menu

Industries Private equity Menu

Industries Real estate Menu

Industries Restaurants, wholesale and agriculture Menu

Industries Retail Menu

Industries Space Menu

Industries Sports Menu

Industries Technology Menu

Industries Technology, media and telecommunications Menu

Industries Telecommunications Menu

Industries Travel, transportation and logistics Menu

Technology Technology Alliances and ecosystems Delivery platforms Emerging technology Engineering & AI Products Tech-enabled services Tech Effect Menu

Technology Alliances and ecosystems Adobe Amazon Web Services Google Cloud Guidewire Microsoft Oracle Salesforce SAP Workday Menu

Technology Delivery platforms Concourse Sightline Menu

Technology Emerging technology Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital assets and crypto Metaverse Responsible AI Web3 Menu

Technology Engineering & AI Menu

Technology Products Analytics Foundation Beacon Bookkeeping Connect Connected Solutions Enterprise Control Investor Survey Model Edge Next Level HR Profit Seeker Ready Assess Saratoga Risk Link View all products Menu

Technology Tech-enabled services Agile Commerce Carbon Ledger Culture Thumbprint Enhanced insurance analytics for Salesforce ESG Geospatial Climate Intelligence (GCI) Insights to Enablement Market Advantage Payer Advocacy Center Ready Command Shovel Ready Menu

Technology Tech Effect Menu

About us About us Alumni Analyst relations Investing in our people Newsroom Offices Our leadership Purpose and values Menu

About us Alumni Join the PwC Alumni Network Meet our alumni Menu

About us Analyst relations Menu

About us Investing in our people Menu

About us Newsroom Menu

About us Offices Menu

About us Our leadership Menu

About us Purpose and values Be Well, Work Well Environmental sustainability Inclusion Social impact

Featured

Tech Effect Menu

Careers Careers Why PwC Entry Level Careers Experienced Careers University Relations Menu

Careers Why PwC Benefits & Compensation The PwC Professional US Careers Podcast hub Menu

Careers Entry Level Careers Search opportunities Recruiting process Student Development Programs Advance Internship Military and Veterans Student programs quiz Menu

Careers Experienced Careers Search opportunities Contract opportunities Alumni Careers Military and Veterans Menu

Careers University Relations University Relations Faculty Newsletter

Featured

Shared success benefits Loading Results

No Match Found

View All Results Explore sections: Leadership insights hub Board CAIO CEO CFO CIO CISO CMO COO CRO Controller Corporate development Legal officer Sustainability leader Tax leader More Explore sections: Leadership insights hub Board CAIO CEO CFO CIO CISO CMO COO CRO Controller Corporate development Legal officer Sustainability leader Tax leader

EB new styles XF - New Brand

What’s important to the CISO in 2026

Executive insights

Five topics shaping the information security agenda

Cyber agility: The key to balancing risks and opportunities The CISO role is at a pivotal moment. As technology accelerates and new threats emerge, you’re expected to lead at the pace of change. AI, quantum computing, and a hyperconnected world are reshaping risk—and your business is watching.

To stay ahead, security can’t be an afterthought. It needs to be built into enterprise strategy from the start. That means elevating cyber from control to catalyst, shaping strategy with the C-suite, and translating risk into metrics the whole business understands. This is your moment to lead with resilience and build a future in which trust and innovation scale together.

In the spotlight New world, new rules: Cybersecurity in an era of uncertainty CISOs are navigating a rapidly evolving threat environment that’s challenging the limits of today’s cyber strategies. Responding with urgency requires fresh thinking across capabilities, talent and technology. PwC’s 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights survey and C-suite playbook reveal how leaders are adapting to this uncertainty and taking practical steps to reshape cyber strategy.

{{filterContent.facetedTitle}} {{contentList.loadingText}} {{item.videoDuration}} {{item.publishDate}} {{item.title}} {{item.videoDuration}} {{item.publishDate}} {{item.title}} {{contentList.loadingText}} 0)"> 0" class="btn btn--transparent collection__load-more" ng-click="contentList.loadMoreLocal()" ng-class="{primary: (!contentList.useInfiniteScroll && contentList.moreResultsLink) || (contentList.useInfiniteScroll && contentList.moreResultsLink && !contentList.hasNextLocal)}">{{contentList.loadMoreLabel}} {{contentList.viewAllLabel}}

The {top-2} challenges to implementing AI for cyber defense are knowledge and skills gaps

Source: PwC's 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights

Explore related C-suite insights CIO CRO Where to focus in 2026 [Resilience] Bridge cyber resilience gaps [Cybersecurity and privacy] Align cyber investments to business strategy [Regulation and compliance] Team up with your C-suite and board to foster cyber compliance [Digital oversight and cybersecurity] Create a cloud and digital transformation security plan [Data governance] Enhance data trust and protection measures Resilience Bridge cyber resilience gaps The risks and expectations testing enterprise cyber resilience aren’t new, but they’re evolving fast. Persistent gaps in monitoring, controls, and governance are now magnified by geopolitical pressure. Disruptive technologies like AI and quantum computing are reshaping the cyber risk paradigm. Moreover, privacy and regulatory demands are more complex as global regulations increase, and states remain more prescriptive. In this environment, resilience can’t be static. It requires ongoing adaptation and sustained investment in strategic cyber risk management.

As a CISO, you’re in a position to lead with impact. That starts by assessing your exposure across global operations and high-risk regions. Threat modeling, scenario planning, and attack simulations should reflect today’s threat landscape—especially across third-party, legacy, and complex supply chains. Cyber readiness isn’t just about protection. It’s how you help your company stay agile and build trust that lasts.

Top insights Resilience Quantum next: Navigating a new cyber landscape Is your organization ready for a post-quantum world? Resilience How to prepare now for quantum’s challenges and opportunities
Quantum opens up exciting opportunities but also sparks legitimate concerns.

Artificial intelligence The AI-augmented CISO: An architect of digital trust Learn how AI is redefining the CISO’s role in building digital trust and driving enterprise transformation.

Risk management Business continuity planning solutions Rethink contingency planning to help identify, prepare, and prevent events that may disrupt your business.

{Only 6%} of business and tech leaders say they are “very capable” of withstanding cyber attacks across all vulnerabilities surveyed given the geopolitical landscape

Source: PwC's 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights

Explore related C-suite insights Board CEO CFO CIO CRO Cybersecurity and privacy Align cyber investments to business strategy Is your organization investing enough in cybersecurity to safeguard critical business functions? Are the most concerning risks getting the most attention? To align proactive action and investment to the right priorities, you need to translate cyber risk in business terms. Cyber risk quantification gives you the tools to clarify what matters most—and the credibility to make your case in the boardroom.

Embedding risk quantification into board dashboards and aligning with C-suite priorities helps shift your conversation from risk to resilience, and from cost to value. Moreover, spending more on proactive measures (monitoring, assessments, testing) compared to reactive measures (remediation, litigation, recovery) can help you avoid unsustainable costs—before a crisis occurs.

Top insights Digital risk Four steps to unlocking the full value of cyber risk quantification  Explore essential steps to enhance cyber risk quantification and strengthen organizational resilience.

Cybersecurity and privacy New world, new rules: Cybersecurity in an era of uncertainty A rapidly shifting world order and threat environment―powered by recent, exponential leaps in technology―is putting cyber strategies to the test.

Digital risk Mitigating risk at the intersection of cybersecurity and financial reporting Find out how ongoing communication between finance and security teams help cybersecurity measures to evolve with business changes.

{Only 50%} of executives say they are measuring the financial impact of cyber risks to a significant or large extent

Source: PwC's 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights

Explore related C-suite insights Board CEO CFO CIO CRO Regulation and compliance Team up with your C-suite and board to foster cyber compliance Cybersecurity compliance is no longer a box to tick. It’s a business-critical responsibility for the enterprise. It touches every part of the business and demands precision, transparency, and strategic oversight. However, achieving compliance can be complex, especially across overlapping global (DORA) and US-based standards (SEC, CIRCIA) spanning sectors. You’re being asked to interpret and operationalize evolving expectations and work closely with the C-suite and board to stay aligned.

This is your opportunity to simplify compliance complexity and accountability. Collaborate with your risk, finance, technology, and legal teams to map regulations to current business processes. By collectively clarifying your company’s cyber posture, defining oversight responsibilities, and keeping the board informed, you’ll build more defensible, informed reporting for regulators.

Top insights Risk and regulatory What America’s AI plan means for cyber and risk leaders The White House has released its roadmap for accelerating US leadership in artificial intelligence. Here’s how to prepare for what’s coming.

Regulation and compliance Navigating dual cyber incident reporting: SEC vs. DORA compliance Examine the key differences between SEC and DORA reporting requirements.

Regulation and compliance Cyber reporting for critical infrastructure Discover the implications of proposed updates to CIRCIA and its requirements on covered entities.

Risk management Being prepared for the next crisis: The board’s role Boards play a critical role in building crisis readiness to help companies withstand shocks and recover stronger in a volatile world.

{More than 90} federal AI policy measures are likely to be pursued by the Trump administration

Source: What America's AI plan means for cyber and risk leaders

Explore related C-suite insights Board CEO CIO CRO Legal officer Digital oversight and cybersecurity Create a cloud and digital transformation security plan Is your cybersecurity strategy keeping pace with your company’s transformation goals? As AI changes the way we work, next-generation cloud architectures and platform modernization can deliver adaptive capacity. A cloud-first approach unites your applications and makes AI scalable to handle evolving workflows and processes. But transformation can also introduce complexity, risk, and expand the attack surface.

You’re in a unique position to embed security into transformation—by design. That starts with setting shared goals with your fellow tech leaders and building security into every phase—from architecture to engineering to deployment. A robust integration plan can close resilience gaps, reduce misconfigurations, and help avoid rework down the line. When security moves in step with innovation, resilience becomes a key driver of performance.

Top insights Digital oversight and cybersecurity 2025 AI Business Predictions Explore our predictions for how AI is shaping enterprise transformation.

Digital oversight and cybersecurity 4 ways to manage cloud transformation risk Implement cloud transformation strategies for your company while navigating risk and compliance implications.

Artificial intelligence Responsible AI and cybersecurity: What you need to know AI adoption is accelerating, with AI agents becoming core to business operations—but they bring new cyber risks.

Risk management NIST post-quantum cryptography standards: Key questions and actions for implementation Learn more about new post-quantum cryptography standards—and how organizations should integrate these algorithms to safeguard against future quantum threats.

[33%] of executives identify cloud-related threats as the top cyber threat they’re least prepared to address, ahead of third-party breach and supply-chain compromise

Source: PwC's 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights

Explore related C-suite insights CAIO CEO CIO CRO Data governance Enhance data trust and protection measures High-quality data, strong governance, and end-to-end data security are essential to advance strategic decisions and build trust, particularly for AI outcomes. As AI agents and machine learning capabilities evolve, so do the risks—from privacy violations to data quality issues and model misuse. CISOs play a critical role in collaborating with data leaders to secure the foundation AI depends on.

It’s not too early to reassess data governance to align on what’s most critical. Identify sensitive and high-value data and confirm controls are in place to safeguard integrity, privacy, and availability. Organizations investing early in data risk management are better positioned to scale AI securely from the ground up and unlock their foundational data value.

Top insights Data governance Data risk is everywhere: 5 steps to manage it Addressing data risk is as critical as advancing data innovation and transformation.

Data security
Beyond the back office: What it takes to sustain data quality Leaders focused on data trust need to focus on sustainable data quality. Here’s what it means and how to achieve it.

Artificial intelligence Responsible AI and data governance: What you need to know  Responsible AI is enhancing risk functions to deliver value and AI innovation.

Artificial intelligence Good governance for AI: 5 real-world insights for risk professionals Explore insights that can help you achieve good AI governance.

{Only 6%} of executives have fully implemented all data risk measures surveyed

Source: PwC's 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights

Explore related C-suite insights CAIO CIO CRO Legal officer Explore executive insights Identify the key focus areas of your colleagues.

Make selection Board of directors Chief AI Officer (CAIO) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Controller Corporate development Legal officer Sustainability leader Tax leader Follow us Audit and Assurance services Consulting Tax services Newsroom Alumni US offices Contact us © 2017 - 2026 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see http://pwc.zhutiblog.com/com/structure for further details.

Privacy Data Privacy Framework Cookie info Legal Terms and conditions Site provider Site map Your Privacy Choices