IEC 31010:2019 for CISOs
What does IEC 31010:2019 require of a CISO?
Guidance on planning and carrying out a risk assessment and choosing assessment techniques: scope and criteria, information and models, identifying risk and causes, analysing controls, consequences, likelihood and dependencies, measuring and aggregating risk, verification, decisions, reporting and technique selection. Under IEC 31010:2019, which defines 32 controls, a CISO's work is deciding which controls you own outright, which you share and which belong to another team, then holding the evidence for the first group.
Which IEC 31010:2019 controls land on the CISO
CISOs own the organisation's information security strategy, budget, and risk posture. They translate compliance requirements into security programmes, report to the board, and balance security investment against business objectives.
IEC 31010:2019 defines 32 controls across 8 domains that directly affect the CISO role. Understanding which controls fall within your ownership, which are shared, and which are owned by other teams is the foundation of effective compliance management.
What a CISO is accountable for under IEC 31010:2019
Defining and executing the information security strategy aligned to business goals
Presenting cyber risk posture and compliance status to the board and executive team
Allocating security budget across people, process, and technology investments
Managing the security organisation and building a security-aware culture
Overseeing incident response capability and crisis management readiness
Where CISOs lose time on IEC 31010:2019
These are the most common obstacles CISOs face when managing IEC 31010:2019 compliance, and how to address them:
Challenge 1
Justifying security investment to the board with clear business metrics
Challenge 2
Managing compliance across multiple frameworks without duplicating effort
Challenge 3
Hiring and retaining qualified security professionals in a competitive market
Challenge 4
Keeping pace with evolving threats while maintaining compliance baselines
Challenge 5
Balancing security controls with business agility and user experience
A working order for a CISO starting on IEC 31010:2019
1. Readiness Assessment
Take a 5-minute readiness assessment to identify your organisation's current gap profile against IEC 31010:2019. Get a prioritised action plan tailored to your specific situation.
2. Cross-Framework Mapping
Use our platform to map IEC 31010:2019 controls against other frameworks you already comply with. Identify overlapping controls to reduce duplicate effort.
3. Build Your Toolkit
Equip yourself with IEC 31010:2019 toolkits, self-assessments, and implementation guides from our store. Resources designed specifically for CISOs managing compliance programmes.
4. Continuous Monitoring
Establish ongoing compliance monitoring using our platform's gap analysis tools. Track your maturity over time and demonstrate progress to stakeholders.
IEC 31010:2019 in your sector
Who else owns part of IEC 31010:2019
Questions CISOs ask about IEC 31010:2019
What does a CISO need to know about IEC 31010:2019?
How does IEC 31010:2019 affect the CISO role?
What are the biggest IEC 31010:2019 challenges for CISOs?
How should a CISO prepare for a IEC 31010:2019 audit?
What tools help CISOs manage IEC 31010:2019 compliance?
CISO: How ready is your organisation for IEC 31010:2019?
Answer 25 questions and get a professional readiness report with gap analysis, maturity scores, and prioritised action items. Results in 5 minutes.