Innovation and/or Security: How Companies Can Have Their Cake and Eat It Too

5-minute read

This is the fifth article in a five-part series covering cybersecurity leadership hiring and organizational structure.

3 Takeaways:

Integrate security from day one: Involve cybersecurity early in the product development lifecycle to avoid bottlenecks and ensure security is built into your products from the start.
Communication is key: Establish clear and regular communication between cybersecurity, product, and business teams to keep innovation and security aligned with company goals.
Leverage cybersecurity as a competitive advantage: Instead of viewing security as a hindrance, use it as a differentiator to build customer trust and enhance your product’s value.

Building on our previous discussion about CISO reporting structures, we’re now diving into a more practical conversation: how companies can balance cybersecurity with innovation. It’s a tricky line to walk, but when done right, security can support product innovation rather than hold it back.

Let’s explore a few actionable strategies and tips that will help companies foster innovation while keeping their cybersecurity posture strong.

How to align cybersecurity and product innovation

Make security a core part of product development

One common mistake companies make is leaving security as an afterthought, only bringing it up when the product is almost finished. By then, it’s often too late, and the security team has to slow things down to fix potential issues. The solution? Involve cybersecurity from the start. Whether your CISO reports to the CTO or another department, security needs to be part of the product development lifecycle from day one.

Quick tip: Have your cybersecurity team integrated into product strategy from product inception. This way, they can collaborate with developers instead of being seen as the department that just says “no” after the fact.

Ensure communication channels are clear

There’s often a gap between the cybersecurity team and other parts of the company, leading to a misalignment of priorities. Whether your CISO reports to the CTO, General Counsel, or CEO, the important thing is clear communication. If security isn’t in the loop on product development or business strategies, you risk projects moving forward without proper safeguards in place.

Quick tip: Create regular touchpoints—whether that’s monthly strategy meetings or quick weekly check-ins—between cybersecurity, business, and product teams. This helps keep everyone aligned on both goals and risks.

Explore hiring a Chief Trust Officer

More companies are starting to explore the role of Chief Trust Officer, which combines security, privacy, and customer trust into one leadership role. If your business relies heavily on customer relationships, having someone dedicated to both security and trust can be a game-changer. It allows your company to build cybersecurity into its brand and deepen trust with your customer base.

Quick tip: Consider adding a Chief Trust Officer if your company’s growing quickly or if trust is imperative for your customers. They can help merge security and privacy into your broader business strategy.

Focus on risks that matter most

It’s easy to get caught up in addressing every possible security risk, but not all threats are created equal. Companies that balance cybersecurity and innovation often adopt a risk-based approach, focusing their efforts on the biggest potential issues. This way, cybersecurity doesn’t slow things down unnecessarily, and product teams can move faster without sacrificing protection.

Quick tip: Work with your cybersecurity and product teams to develop a risk management framework that prioritizes threats. This lets you address the most critical risks first while keeping other projects moving smoothly.

Hire leaders who understand security and business

A big part of balancing security and product innovation is having leadership that understands both sides. Whether your CISO reports to the CEO, CTO, or General Counsel, they need to see the bigger picture. Leaders who know how to communicate security risks in business terms can make smarter, faster decisions that benefit the company as a whole.

Quick tip: When hiring cybersecurity leaders, look for candidates who have business acumen in addition to cybersecurity expertise. It’s important that they can explain the value of cybersecurity to other departments and align their work with broader company goals.

Structuring your organization for success

Consider a matrix reporting structure

If you’re torn between having your CISO report to the CTO, General Counsel, or CEO, why not try a matrix reporting structure? In this setup, the CISO could report to two different leaders, like the CTO and the General Counsel. They could also report to one of those leaders and the chair of your board’s audit committee. This helps ensure that cybersecurity is aligned with both product development and compliance, striking a balance between innovation and legal needs.

Quick tip: If your company struggles with cybersecurity and innovation alignment, a matrix reporting structure might help spread responsibilities more evenly, giving cybersecurity more visibility across the organization.

Form an innovation-security council

A cross-functional council made up of leaders from product, cybersecurity, and business teams can help address potential security concerns before they become roadblocks. This team should meet regularly to discuss how new products are being developed and to find ways to tackle cybersecurity issues without slowing down innovation. It’s about collaboration, not competition between departments.

Quick tip: Set up a monthly meeting with representatives from product development, cybersecurity, and legal to review upcoming projects. This group can help prioritize security needs without stifling creativity.

Turn cybersecurity into competitive advantage

Customers care about their data and privacy more than ever before. By positioning cybersecurity as a selling point instead of a burden, your company can build trust and stand out from competitors. Think of cybersecurity not as something that slows things down but as a feature that adds value to your products.

Quick tip: Work with marketing and sales teams to make cybersecurity part of your brand messaging. Highlight how your company prioritizes privacy and data security, which can help attract customers who are wary of security risks.

Balancing cybersecurity with product innovation is a challenge, but it’s not impossible. The key is finding an organizational structure and strategy that allows both to thrive. Whether it’s integrating security early in the product development process, exploring the Chief Trust Officer role, or setting up an innovation-security council, there are plenty of ways to ensure security supports—rather than slows—innovation.

At the end of the day, successful companies are the ones that recognize cybersecurity as an integral part of their business strategy. By taking a proactive approach and fostering collaboration between departments, you can build products that are not only innovative but secure, giving you a competitive edge in the market.

Sean Cleary leads the cybersecurity executive search practice at Riviera Partners.

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About Riviera Partners

Riviera Partners is a global driver of innovation for today’s most influential companies – expertly placing executive talent in the crucial areas of IT, software engineering, product management, security, AI/ML/Data, and design. Riviera combines over two decades of recruiting expertise with a proprietary platform that uses machine learning to score and predict the best candidate for a company’s specific needs, driving successful outcomes. As a result, the company has become the go-to talent partner for leading private equity investors, venture capitalists, public companies and technology innovators.