Where Should A CISO Sit Within An Organisation?

Welcome to Razorwire Podcast! In this episode, we’re joined by Claire Davies of Arriva and Keith Christie-Smith of Claroty to discuss where a CISO fits best within an organisation, a bit of the history behind it, where trends have been in recent years, and where we think it’ll going to be in future. The role of CISO has traditionally been a part of IT and they often report to the CIO. This trend has been steadily changing over recent years, but the question remains: where should the CISO sit within an organisation? With security events increasing in cost and complexity, is it time that the CISO should sit on the board? Claire, Keith and cyber security consultancy MD James Rees - your host - share their opinions on the subject from the perspective of a CISO currently in the role and with insights from an Accounts Director who deals with CISOs from multiple companies across a wide range of different sectors. The format of our show is group of us sitting here talking like we are down the pub talking about what we do for a living. So I am inviting you to join us in this episode to learn about CISO.   Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform.   If you are a new listener to Razorwire, we would love to hear from you. For more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].  In this episode, we covered the following topics:   Where should the CISO sit within an organisation?  Changing landscape  within the role of Chief Security officer The role of Corporate, government and media in building a security infrastructure Is having cyber security insurance strategy work nowadays? What is the need for cyber consultations for SMEs? The future prospects of being in the field of cybersecurity The psychological angle of cyber security Our final thoughts on, where does CSO going as a discipline?    GUEST BIO-  Claire Davies MBE – Director of Group Information Security, Arriva PLC UK Claire has over 30 years of experience in the field of intelligence and security.   She cut her teeth within the UK military where she enjoyed a globe-trotting career identifying, assessing, exploiting and ultimately defeating the threat to the security of assets posed by those engaged in terrorism, espionage, sabotage and subversion.   In more recent times, she leads a team of information security and data protection professionals within Arriva Group.  She is particularly passionate about creating momentum around increased awareness of the cyber-threat across the industry, mentoring new recruits into the field (so she can retire) and helping to fly the flag in providing a safe and trusted public transport network.        KEITH CHRISTIE-SMITH -Sales director with Claroty Keith is a sales director with Claroty, covering the Government, Defence and Healthcare verticals. Keith has worked in the cyber security field for both vendors and resellers. He has been in cyber security for over a decade having worked in IT managed services for almost a decade beforehand.      Connect with Your host James Rees  Hello, I am James Rees, the host of the Razorwire podcast. This podcast brings you insights from leading cyber security professionals who dedicate their careers to making a hacker’s life that much more difficult. Our guests bring you experience and expertise from a range of disciplines and from different career stages. We give you various viewpoints for improving your cyber security – from seasoned professionals with years of experience, triumphs and lessons learned under their belt, to those in relatively early stages of their careers offering fresh eyes and new insights. With new episodes every other Wednesday, Razorwire is a podcast for cyber security enthusiasts and professionals providing insights, news and fresh ideas on protecting your organisation from hackers. Listen to this episode on your favourite podcasting platform and for more information about us or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss on the podcast email [email protected].  If you need consultation, visit www.razorthorn.com, We give our clients a personalised, integrated approach to information security, driven by our belief in quality and discretion.  Linkedin: Razorthorn Security Youtube: Razorthorn Security Twitter:  @RazorThornLTD Website: www.razorthorn.com All rights reserved. © Razorthorn Security LTD 2025