As a Chief Information Security Officer of a publicly traded company, I would take several steps to ensure the availability of the company’s systems. First, I would present the board of directors and investors with a presentation that drives home the importance of adequately funding an IT team, as well as the importance of dedicating a percentage of company assets to this department. This would include the average cost associated with cybersecurity breaches, along with statistics of the survivability of companies should they experience a breach or malware attack. I would also insist on regular staff training on how to spot phishing attempts and provide staff with information on the ways they’re allowed to use company resources, such as banner warnings on company computers and use of personal devices while on the clock. Open communication among the various levels of the company would be another focus of my job as a CISO. The CIA Triad (confidentiality, integrity, and availability) would serve as a model for the company’s cybersecurity system and would be included in the presentation. 

I would also keep up with newer technology that can assist in anti-virus software, including regularly updating this software to ensure peak performance. The regular maintenance and inspections of company hardware and software is also important to keep up with as a CISO. I would encourage all staff to bring any information security concerns to myself and other members of the company. The use and storage of employee information would be communicated to staff, as well as what would happen to that information should their employment be terminated, or they move on to a different company. 

For customers and staff, I would stress the importance of the integrity of company systems, as well as the availability of the systems should an attack or breach occur. This is another area where I would include the CIA Triad because I feel it would be an effective and simple method of informing customers how the company’s cybersecurity and information technology functions to keep their information safe and secure.