Whether we like it or not, technology hiccups happen. Chief Information Officers (CIOs) often carry a reputation for fire-fighting, but they can (and should) do much more than respond to incidents. After all, the “I” in CIO should stand for Information, Infrastructure, Innovation, Integration, and Intelligence – not Incidents!
With the increasing complexities of flexible work, a glut of data from SaaS applications, and the pressure of looming security regulations, CIOs are in a prime position to defend and redefine. They can influence culture, governance, and business transformation – and that’s precisely why we’re hosting a webinar on the 10 tools CIOs should be investigating now to protect their organisations’ digital assets. (Intrigued? The registration link is coming soon!)
Beyond the business disruption that system downtime or security incidents can cause, CIOs must remain focused on harnessing technology for strategic innovation, cost optimisation, and workforce enablement. In this blog, we’ll unpack some key areas where savvy CIOs are stepping up and explore how you can protect your organisation without letting the “I” become an “Incident.”
One of the most effective ways CIOs can drive positive change is by developing a resilience-driven framework that prioritises strategy and governance. Instead of merely dusting off continuity plans when a crisis arises, CIOs should have a living roadmap of best practices, clearly assigned accountabilities, and internal control processes that flag issues long before they become significant outages.
This includes:
Building collaborative relationships with the CISO to ensure cybersecurity and infrastructure decisions are in sync;
Implementing robust data management policies to track usage and potential vulnerabilities across the organisation’s technology stack;
Working with finance and legal to comply with fresh security legislation in Australia (see our articles here: CyberSecurity Bill 2024); and
Maintaining a flexible yet structured environment where changes are tested and validated continuously rather than as a last-minute reaction to a looming crisis.
The numbers on downtime are sobering. Many organisations report that even a few hours offline can cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention reputational damage. A strong governance framework, supported by routine audits and role-based access policies, ensures that the “I” in CIO remains associated with Infrastructure and Intelligence, not the dreaded “Incident.
Before you think you’re immune or you run a tight ship, remember that in 2024 alone, Australian organisations were hit by cyber incidents at a rate of more than one attack every single day—precisely 500 recorded events, ranging from ransomware to distributed denial-of-service assaults. Even big-name brands you’d immediately recognise (think Panasonic and Nissan, who depend on their reputations to keep customers loyal) weren’t spared.
And it’s not just Australia: ASEAN logged 2,829 incidents, India hit 3,936, the Middle East tallied 3,583, the Caribbean saw 66, the United States soared to 5,978, and Europe—spurred by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine—topped the list with 10,429. If that doesn’t serve as a wake-up call, consider that some of these cyber attacks resulted in massive data breaches and costly downtime for organisations that believed they were well-prepared.
In truth, the work is never finished. If you don’t plan proactively, strengthen your defences, and continually adapt to emerging threats, you’re always an incident waiting to happen. It’s not a matter of if but when.
Looking closer at the Australian landscape, the stakes remain high. Even though the ACSC’s Essential Eight is touted as a baseline for best-practice cybersecurity, many organisations still fail to adopt critical elements like immutable backups—where data is locked against unwanted edits or deletions—and robust application control mechanisms that tightly govern which code can run in environments holding sensitive information.
Budget constraints and time pressures are often cited as barriers, but if you’re operating more like a Chief Incident Officer than a Chief Information Officer, are you truly doing the right thing for your business?
Immutability alone can decide whether to restore your systems after ransomware or deal with devastating data loss that tarnishes your brand. Application control is essential to prevent unauthorised or malicious processes from taking root. Ultimately, ignoring these measures invites further incidents—when, not if.
Be the Chief Information Officer you were born to be.
As the CIO, you should work closely with information security stakeholders (CISO, risk management, or external partners) to implement cutting-edge anti-breach solutions. These go well beyond traditional firewalls and virus scanners. Advanced endpoint detection, real-time analytics, and machine learning models help sift through enormous datasets to spot anomalies—like suspicious application usage or unusual login patterns.
You’ll also want to use modern solutions to protect your environment’s growing number of SaaS apps. Remember the quick mention that the average enterprise has 112 SaaS applications? (Yes, that’s an actual stat from BetterCloud. The number is likely significantly higher as we start leveraging Nudge Security with our customers.) Plugging potential data leaks in such a sprawling environment is no small feat.
We recently wrote about how Nudge Security is tackling the challenge of SaaS sprawl in a novel way no other vendor has tried before. It’s an approach that blocks threats and identifies ‘shadow IT’—rogue apps or services that go unnoticed.
CIOs keen on moving away from an “incident-driven” identity must routinely stress-test their systems. Think of it like running a fire drill before the flames appear. You can conduct tabletop exercises, “red-team” security tests, and even controlled failover scenarios to see if your environment can withstand sudden changes or unexpected disruptions.
Regular system health assessments highlight weak areas in your infrastructure, whether an overtaxed server from a spike in remote work or a newly discovered vulnerability in one of your lesser-known SaaS tools. Identifying and resolving these vulnerabilities early helps keep you out of the news and prevents your “I” from becoming an incident.
No matter how advanced your technologies are, a workplace culture that fails to adapt can undermine them. Promoting continuous learning, open communication, and transparent processes is a cornerstone of a future-focused CIO’s role. The more employees know how to identify phishing emails, maintain secure remote access, and respect best-practice data protocols, the less likely your workforce will become the source of incidents.
With 49% of IT workers saying they’d consider changing jobs for more flexible work (according to a 2024 Everywhere Work Report), it’s clear that employee experience matters. If policies and tools designed to protect the business are too cumbersome, staff may look elsewhere or cut corners. In our “Let’s Go Scuba Diving” article, we wrote about best practices and ways to enable and secure your remote workforce. The best CIOs champion both productivity and security, ensuring that rules and tools align with how people work.
Regulations surrounding data security, privacy, and cybersecurity are evolving quickly. In Australia, for example, new legislation demands tighter controls, broader data governance, and timely reporting of breaches. A CIO who stays ahead of compliance avoids hefty fines and safeguards brand reputation.
Developing a close relationship with your legal team and any relevant government bodies that issue compliance updates is wise. This will help you interpret evolving requirements and ensure your IT roadmaps align with them. Build a protocol for swift incident reporting, but more importantly, foster proactive compliance so that “incident response” doesn’t become the entire job description for your IT teams.
As organisations move to the cloud, spin up ephemeral DevOps environments, and sign on to new SaaS offerings to boost productivity, losing track of everything is easy. We’re fans of the novel approach discussed in our Nudge Security piece, which uses discovery and automation to clamp down on ungoverned SaaS usage.
Similar solutions exist for ephemeral assets in Infrastructure-as-Code or containerized environments. Continuous monitoring and automated patching help reduce overheads, enabling your teams to focus on innovation rather than firefighting.
From AI-driven malware to state-sponsored cyberattacks, emergent threats evolve at a breakneck pace. Equally, new technologies—like generative AI platforms—can be your best friend or your most significant risk factor. Staying well-informed helps you position the “I” in CIO at the forefront of knowledge, readiness, and adaptiveness.
Social media channels, partnerships with cybersecurity firms, and membership in industry associations are all essential for threat intelligence. Sharing that intel with your broader organisation helps ensure that your entire ecosystem is prepared, rather than surprised, when the next wave of attacks comes.
Finally, monitor the global regulatory landscape, especially data protection and rapidly changing privacy laws. If your organisation operates internationally, compliance can become even more challenging. As the CIO, you are responsible for safeguarding data and continuity and are in a unique position to champion cross-functional collaboration.
Remember to coordinate with finance, HR, marketing, and other departments whose processes might be affected. Whether it’s ensuring remote workers can seamlessly access systems or verifying that personal data is handled ethically, a comprehensive approach will give your enterprise a competitive edge—and keep those incidents at bay.
The modern CIO’s role extends well beyond managing crises. By focusing on resilience, investing in advanced technology, promoting a culture of innovation, and staying ahead of legal requirements, you’ll ensure the “I” in CIO stands for much more than just “Incidents.” In our upcoming webinar, we’ll be diving into these themes (and exploring the 10 essential tools every CIO should know about)—request your hotlink in the comments to register!
The potential is clear. By embracing collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovative governance, you’ll transform your operations, propel your organisation’s strategic initiatives, and remain one step ahead of whatever “incident” lurks around the corner.
Chief Executive Officer
Founder and Principal of alltasksIT with 30+ years IT experience, John has a broad and varied experience across cloud computing strategies.
John has been successfully realising IT and networking solutions for small to medium businesses for over 25 years.
