Cybersecurity for board members: key strategies 2025

McKinsey & Company (Aug 4, 2025) "Competitive advantage through cybersecurity: A board-level perspective" argues cybersecurity is moving from cost-centre risk avoidance to a driver of competitive advantage, accelerated by generative AI adoption and expanded board oversight responsibilities. The chief information security officer has evolved from technologist to business partner; the strength of the board-CISO relationship is now a defining factor in long-term cyber resilience. The era of cyber as a separate, isolated function is over — today's AI-fuelled threats require "air to ground coverage" from boardroom to operations. For SEA mid-market boards where the CISO is buried two layers below the audit committee, the reframing is urgent.