Challenges Facing CISOs And Their Teams
Security and risk leaders are making high‑stakes decisions with limited margin for error. That pressure shows up in a few critical ways:
- Keeping the security roadmap current as business priorities, technology, and threats rapidly change
- Evaluating new and emerging technologies — including AI — without adding risk or complexity
- Managing constrained budgets and vendors while proving that security investments deliver value
- Guiding the business with confidence, balancing speed, protection, and enablement
- Building and sustaining capable teams amid talent shortages and burnout
Even the most advanced organizations are struggling to keep pace with relentless cyber threats — and the data shows just how steep the challenge has become.
of global security decision-makers admit their organization was breached at least once in the last year
the average number of sensitive data compromises security leaders say occurred in their organizations over the last year.
on average in cumulative breach costs — that’s what global security leaders are up against
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Create A High-Performing Security Program
Security, privacy, and risk management deliver the foundation of a trusted business, but AI disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, and relentless budget pressures are raising the bar for security leaders like never before. To deliver meaningful business outcomes, CISOs must protect their organizations and customers across an increasingly complex risk landscape, without slowing customer experience or compromising growth. Forrester offers research, frameworks, and guidance to help security leaders stay ahead of emerging risks, align security strategy with business priorities, and build resilient, high‑trust organizations.
Build Resilience With Zero Trust
Seventy-four percent of global security decision-makers say their senior leadership has committed their organization to adopting a Zero Trust security strategy.
Zero Trust is an information security model that denies access to applications and data by default. Developed and coined by Forrester in 2009, Zero Trust became the gold standard among security teams working to defend against devastating breaches.
With Zero Trust, security becomes a business amplifier and the CISO transitions from perceived blocker to trusted business partner.
Secure Your AI Agents With AEGIS
Forrester’s Agentic AI Enterprise Guardrails For Information Security (AEGIS) Framework is designed to help CISOs secure, govern, and manage AI agents and related infrastructure. AEGIS extends Zero Trust with six security domains, guided by least agency, continuous risk management, and explainable outcomes, helping security and risk leaders enable AI adoption with confidence, control, and accountability.
Questions We Answer
Security & Risk Questions Forrester Helps Answer
For many CISOs and CIOs, the pressure to deliver real, measurable results from secure Al initiatives has intensified significantly. At the same time, geopolitical pressures and security risks continue to command attention, pushing security and risk leaders to focus on outcomes that align to business goals and build trust across the business.
In 2026, tech and security leaders will be called upon to recalibrate investments under tighter financial scrutiny and governance, navigating increasingly complex geopolitical and economic risks. Learn more in our guide: 2026 Predictions for Technology and Security.
Security leaders must proactively embed security and risk mitigation throughout the entire AI agent lifecycle, from initial design to continuous operation, using comprehensive threat modeling and robust governance frameworks. Organizations also need to extend software supply chain security to their broader AI ecosystem, thoroughly vetting third-party components, implementing software and AI bills of materials, and maintaining human-in-the-loop oversight.
To safeguard AI integrity, enterprises should develop dynamic risk management approaches that use continuous monitoring, context-aware policy-as-code, and automated compliance controls to detect and mitigate emerging AI-related risks. With the help of our industry-leading Zero Trust and AEGIS frameworks, Forrester is on your side and by your side as you navigate the changing AI landscape.
New AI governance frameworks continue to barrage tech and security leaders, but security leaders don’t need another framework. They need a sequencing plan. AEGIS gives you one.
Forrester’s AEGIS regulatory cross walk is a fully cross-referenced, regulation-aware blueprint for building trust in AI systems. If you’re a CISO, CIO, or CTO — or you report to one — AEGIS is a pathway to AI agent and agentic trust. You’ll start with the controls that anchor trust, then layer in nuance and regional specificity. Learn more about AEGIS.
Build A Security Org For The Future
Download our guide to help CISOs prove business value, win budget, and reduce burnout. Use our actionable framework to align security with enterprise goals, justify funding, and lead a high-performing team.
Forrester Decisions for Security and Risk
Forrester guides security and risk leaders to anticipate threats, safeguard business growth and reputation, and build lasting trust with customers and employees. Whether you’re a CISO, CSO, CRO, or you work for one, Forrester offers bold, purpose-built solutions that drive better outcomes.
What’s Included In This Service
Forrester Decisions services are uniquely built to give you strategic insights for your role as a business leader in your organization and help you deliver on your functional role as a division or department leader. Here’s what’s inside:
Insights
Shape strategy, guide transformational change, and stay ahead of the curve with leading research and insights.
- Customer obsession research
- Customer insights
- Trends and predictions
- Market forecasts
- Industry highlights
- Planning guides
- Technology and service provider landscapes
- Forrester Wave™ evaluations
Tools
Empower your team to conquer your priorities with proven strategic models and plug-and-play templates.
- KPIs and peer benchmarks
- Assessments
- Strategic models and frameworks
- Execution tools and templates
- Forrester Wave™ evaluations for your function
- Certification courses
Guidance
Accelerate progress and de-risk decisions with expert advice and hands-on support tailored to you and your team.
- Guidance sessions
- Peer discussions
- Event attendance
- Client webinars
- Dedicated relationship management
Forrester AI Where You Work
Powered by generative AI, Forrester AI helps clients make progress on their top initiatives faster, with trusted answers from Forrester research. Get AI-powered insights and advice from Forrester directly in the tools you use every day.
Support for CISOs and Their Teams
Forrester Decisions for Security & Risk offers multiple levels of service to ensure the right expertise and degree of support for you and your team. All service levels offer access to research, tools, data, and certification courses.
Executive Leader
Leverage support from a trusted partner and former executive who understands your challenges and supports your strategic agenda every step of the way. Availability may vary by geographic region.
Leader
Procure deep expertise across your functional discipline through expert-led guidance sessions that help you apply unique research, tools, and data to your specific needs.
Team
Develop a common language and toolset to strengthen your team’s expertise and skills with access to relevant certification courses and insights.
AI Access
Equip everyone in your organization to get trusted advice fast through AI in a flexible self-service model.
Key Benefits For Security & Risk Leaders
Forrester Decisions empowers senior leaders and their teams to drive strategic initiatives with confidence and deliver better outcomes faster. Our tailored research services provide leading insights, proven tools, and continuous guidance to de-risk decisions and accelerate growth.
- Access trusted cybersecurity research across industries and security domains on demand.
- Engage directly with Forrester analysts for personalized guidance on your most critical security priorities.
- Make informed decisions with Forrester’s benchmarks, assessments, and frameworks.
- Leverage Forrester AI to get answers quickly, summarize research findings, and strategize next steps.
- Connect with a global community of security leaders to compare strategies, share best practices, and tackle common challenges.
What Our Clients Are Saying
City Of Pittsburgh Cuts Cybersecurity Insurance Premiums With Forrester’s Help
Watch the City Of Pittsburgh’s CISO describe how she worked with Forrester to reduce the city’s cybersecurity insurance premiums and cut its deductible in half.
How Oracle And Forrester Tackled DORA Compliance Together
Learn how Forrester helped Northern Trust identify the security architecture models that aligned to its goals.
Forrester Helps Northern Trust Upgrade Its Security Architectures
Learn how Forrester helped Northern Trust identify the security architecture models that aligned to its goals.
How Ahold Delhaize Set Its Cybersecurity Metrics Strategy With Forrester’s Help
Hear how the partnership between Forrester and Ahold Delhaize’s cybersecurity team has helped the multinational grocery retailer define its key cybersecurity metrics.
Upcoming Events For Security & Risk Leaders
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Complimentary Webinars
Predictions 2026 Webinar: Technology & Security
Predictions 2026 APAC Webinar: Technology & Security
2026 Budget Planning: Why CIOs And CISOs Must Be On The Same Page
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Forrester Decisions for Security & Risk designed for?
It’s built for security and risk leaders responsible for anticipating emerging threats, sustaining compliance, managing security programs, and enabling business growth, as well as for teams focused on identity management, privacy programs, and securing emerging technologies.
Whether you’re a CISO, CIO, or application development leader, or if you work for one, Forrester Decisions for Security & Risk can help you drive better outcomes.
What topics and priorities does this service cover?
Our research spans all of the key priorities for CISOs and other security leaders, from managing enterprise risk and defending against cyber threats to leading high‑performing security teams and implementing privacy and data‑ protection programs.
It also includes guidance on securing AI, navigating emerging technologies, and other enterprise-wide priorities.
What resources are included in this service?
Forrester clients gain access to leading research, cutting-edge data, planning guides, templates, forecasts and predictions, technology evaluations, and analyst guidance to help de-risk decisions. Clients also receive access to Forrester AI, our generative AI tool, to accelerate success with answers from trusted Forrester research.
These resources are designed to both shape long‑term strategies and support day‑to‑day functional decisions.
How does Forrester Decisions help organizations stay ahead of threats?
Forrester Decisions provides insights into emerging threat landscapes and equips leaders with tools to proactively protect their organizations. Our leading insights and data support continuous risk management and enable organizations to make informed, data‑driven security decisions, while our frameworks and templates support teams as they work to implement best practices.
From our industry leading Zero Trust and AEGIS frameworks to our signature research for security and tech professionals, Forrester is on your side and by your side as you navigate the changing cyber security landscape.
Meet A Few Of Our Security & Risk Analysts
Insights
How CISOs Can Thrive Amid Geopolitical And Economic Uncertainty
Cyber Risk Ratings Fade Out; Actionable Intelligence Takes The Spotlight
What To Know When Evaluating Sensitive Data Discovery And Classification Solutions
CISOs Have Plenty Of Work To Do In An AI-Driven Future
Talk To Us
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