AI is changing what CISOs do, Seemplicity and IANS reports show. March 6, 2026 The CISO role is changing as AI reshapes the cybersecurity landscape. At the same time, security leaders must deal with more complex cyber threats, increasingly distributed IT environments, and the continued shift to cloud computing. CISOs have been dealt a mixed bag: the position is rising into the executive ranks and the pay packages are growing, but they are under increased pressure and at risk of burnout. Two such reports were released this week, with agentic AI platform maker Seemplicity noting that AI is changing the nature of the role of CISOs, many of whom now are working the equivalent of a six-day work week. Meanwhile, security consultancy IANS Research, in conjunction with executive recruiting firm Artico Search and executive advisory company The CAP Group, said that while 95% of CISOs provide regular security updates to boards of directors, only 25% of them get extended airtime and just 10% influence financial decisions. "What we're seeing is that while boards are consistently informed, many are still working to translate cyber reporting into strategic decision-making," Nick Kakolowski, senior director of CISO research at IANS, said in a statement. "Directors want clearer insight into what's coming next, particularly as AI reshapes both the threat landscape and enterprise risk." From building to governance. AI is a common thread running through most of these reports about CISOs. In its 2026 State of the Cybersecurity Workforce Report, Seemplicity found that as the rapidly evolving technology assumes more of the technical execution tasks, security leaders are seeing their roles transitioning to governance, such as oversight, decision-making, and accountability. "For a long time, the CISO's job was to build and run the security stack," Ravid Circus, co-founder and chief product officer for Seemplicity, told MSSP Alert. "You bought the gear, you set the rules, and you managed the people who used it. But as AI moves into the driver's seat for things like detection and response, that is changing. The role is shifting from building the infrastructure to governing the results. You are now the person accountable for the decisions an automated system makes when no one is watching." In the survey of 300 U.S.-based cybersecurity leaders, 73% reported AI oversight and governance is the most important future capability, and 89% said the position now requires significant cross-functional collaboration and business alignment. In addition, 85% stated AI is increasing the pressure they feel to strengthen their communication and business skills, while for 82%, people skills are more key to security leadership than five years ago. A disconnect about headcount. Circus also said that during a recent executive dinner Seemplicity hosted, there was a "major disconnect" between CISOs and others in the organization in how AI will affect headcount. Many executives see AI as a way to cut jobs and save money. "The CISOs in the room were unanimous that this shouldn't be the main driver," he said. "When you treat AI purely as a way to cut staff, you are trading human intuition for algorithmic speed without the proper safety nets in place." That's seen in the huge number of weekly hours CISOs are working. For 45% of them, this translates to an average of more than 11 extra hours worked every week, with 20% hitting more than 16 hours. Much of this is happening because few are comfortable letting AI systems make major decisions without human oversight, Circus said. CISOs are responding by "moving away from the autopilot panacea and toward a more realistic co-pilot model," he said. "They are setting up guardrails where AI does the grunt work, but a human still has the final 'yes' or 'no' on anything that could break the business. They are also retooling their teams so junior analysts handle the AI-driven alerts, while the senior folks focus on the big-picture governance." Boards seek more detail about AI. AI was also part of the How Boards are Partnering with CISOs report by IANS, Artico, and The Cap Group. Multiple directors and CISOs at various companies were asked about the updates presented by the cybersecurity leaders, with the frequency and length of reporting as a focus. Most CISOs report to the board - and 60% to the full board - but the time is short, coming in at about 30 minutes. A key message coming out of the report is that what's important in these meetings is less about the cadence and more about the dialogue itself and the clarity around decision rights, the report's authors wrote. In this respect, 82% of directors said their CISOs' reports about regulatory trends are at least satisfactory, but only 47% said the same about the security leaders' ability to clearly talk about the impact of evolving threats. Those evolving threats include AI. Directors need to be sure they understand what is happening with the technology, according to The Cap Group CEO Brian Walker. 'The primary driver of cyber risk' "AI is now a primary driver of cyber risk - both enabling more sophisticated attacks and introducing new forms of loss as AI models become high-value assets," Walker said in the report. "AI and cybersecurity are inextricably linked, and boards must understand the business risks of both." As AI continues to evolve, the pressure on CISOs will only grow, according to Seemplicity's Circus, noting that the shift to agentic AI - systems that autonomously execute tasks and make changes - will introduce major questions around trust. "When an agentic system makes a million-dollar error in a millisecond, the board isn't going to call the head of AI," he said. "They are going to call the CISO to ask why the guardrails didn't catch it. That makes the CISO the ultimate backstop for enterprise AI performance." Jeffrey Burt has been a journalist for almost 40 years, moving from general-circulation newspapers to IT news sites in 2000. He's an expert analyst and writer on cybersecurity, data center infrastructure, AI, and a host of other subjects for a range of organizations, including CyberRisk Alliance, eWEEK, Techstrong Group, The Next Platform, and The Register. MSSPs are now expected to prove measurable security outcomes, support cyber insurance decisions, and demonstrate how they secure the shared infrastructure that underpins their services. DSPM reveals where CUI is exposed, but MSSPs that pair discovery with data protection can help defense contractors close CMMC gaps while expanding the size and scope of their engagements. Related events. Related Terms

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Research Reveals Majority of CISOs' Roles Expand Beyond Cybersecurity, Yet Only 3% See Compensation Increases Tied to New ResponsibilitiesBOSTON, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IANS Research and Artico Search released their State of the CISO 2025 Report , an annual research study providing deep insights into the evolving Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) role. The report examines job levels, compensation, board engagement, and job satisfaction, offering comprehensive data on the challenges and opportunities facing security executives today.This year, more than 830 CISOs and other security leaders participated, and our ongoing collaboration with the CISO community helped contextualize the findings. To better understand the key trends and challenges reshaping CISO role, the report categorizes CISOs into three distinct segments based on their organizational influence and executive access:Strategic CISOs (28%): Leaders who excel in both C-suite access and boardroom influence, frequently engaging with top executives to align cybersecurity with broader business goals.Leaders who excel in both C-suite access and boardroom influence, frequently engaging with top executives to align cybersecurity with broader business goals. Functional CISOs (50%): CISOs with significant influence in either the C-suite or boardroom but lacking consistent visibility in both areas.CISOs with significant influence in either the C-suite or boardroom but lacking consistent visibility in both areas. Tactical CISOs (22%): Often positioned as back-office technical practitioners, these CISOs face limited access to senior leadership and infrequent engagement with the board."With CISO scope expanding and evolving, security leaders continue to be viewed as business executives rather than simply technical leaders," said Steve Martano, IANS Faculty and Executive Cyber Recruiter at Artico Search