One of the earliest (and honestly, one of the trickiest) questions you’ll face when standing up a cybersecurity program is simple to ask but not always simple to answer: Who actually owns cybersecurity?
When you’re early in the buildout, getting clarity on ownership isn’t just a checkbox — it’s the foundation for how well your program will function over time. Without clear ownership, security can drift, lose momentum, or, worse, fall through the cracks when it matters most.
Appoint a Primary Security Leader
Even if it’s part-time at first — someone needs to be the face of security for your company.
Whether you call them the CISO, Security Manager, or just “Security Lead,” the title matters less than the fact that they are known, reachable, and responsible. This person becomes the centering point for security discussions, strategy, and incident response.
Early in my career, I saw companies try to “committee” their way through security decisions — no clear owner, just a lot of opinions. It always ended the same: indecision, misaligned priorities, and no one truly driving security forward. Having a primary security leader gives your organization a single point of accountability and a trusted advisor to guide teams. Even if security is only part of their job for now, it’s critical someone has skin in the game.
Define Clear Reporting Lines
Once you have a leader, the next big question is: where does security live?
Does security sit under IT? Compliance? Operations? Somewhere else?
Here’s the thing:
While the industry loves to debate the “best” place for security to report, I think how the security leader works is more important than exactly where they report.
Regardless of the structure, you need to establish clear reporting lines early.
Why?
Because it shapes your understanding of the business drivers, the priorities of leadership, and the strategy you’ll need to adopt to secure resources, build influence, and create lasting change.
A few real-world examples:
- Security reporting into IT:
You’re closely tied to technology roadmaps. It’s easier to bake security into procurement, maintenance, and decommissioning processes.
Bonus: IT teams can become some of your strongest allies and future security champions. - Security reporting into Compliance:
Expect a heavy focus on regulatory frameworks and audits.
The trap to avoid? Thinking that “being compliant” automatically means “being secure.”
Pro tip: Reframe conversations toward risk management — if you manage risk well, compliance will naturally follow.
Bottom line: Clear reporting lines = stronger strategies, faster decisions, and better resourcing.
Establish Shared Ownership
Here’s a myth we need to bust early:
“Everything security-related is the security team’s problem.”
Not true — and dangerous thinking if left unchecked.
Security is a shared responsibility.
Everyone in the company, from executives to entry-level staff to third-party vendors, has a role to play.
Here’s a way to look at it:
| Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Executives / Leadership | Set the tone, fund initiatives, align cybersecurity with business goals |
| Managers | Enforce cybersecurity practices within teams, escalate issues, support training |
| Employees (All Staff) | Follow policies, complete security training, report suspicious activities |
| Security Team | Build, monitor, and evolve the security program; guide and support others |
| IT / Engineering | Implement technical controls (patching, hardening, access control) |
| Legal / Compliance | Ensure cybersecurity compliance with regulations and contracts |
| Vendors / Third Parties | Protect data and systems under their control; notify about incidents |
Ownership isn’t just about assigning names to tasks. It’s about two critical ingredients:
- Accountability — Knowing you have the duty to protect what you’re responsible for.
- Authority — Having the power to take action when needed (e.g., locking accounts, escalating breaches, approving critical patches).
If you don’t set up shared ownership intentionally, you’re setting yourself up for chaos during an incident — a lot of finger-pointing, “not my problem” excuses, and, ultimately, bigger damage.
Ownership must be defined, documented, and socialized — early and often.
Final Thoughts
When you’re building your security program, setting up clear initial reporting lines isn’t a side quest — it’s part of the main story.
- ✅ Appoint a security leader (even part-time)
- ✅ Clarify where security sits in the organization
- ✅ Define and communicate shared ownership of security risks
It doesn’t have to be perfect from day one — but you do need to be deliberate.
Clear lines of ownership are what turn cybersecurity from “someone else’s job” into “everyone’s responsibility.”
