Using AI to Turn Security Metrics into Board-Ready Insights

March 12, 2026
Learn how security teams can use AI and large language models to translate jargon-heavy metrics into clear, board-ready insights that drive better decisions.

Security teams are full of experts who live and breathe vulnerabilities, controls, and frameworks. But there’s often a gap between how we talk about security and how our executives and boards understand it, and that gap is language. 

DOWNLOAD NOW: 2026 CISO-Board Engagement Report

Security leaders present metrics and rely on acronyms and technical terminology that make sense inside the security team but not always to the rest of the business. CISOs and other security leaders believe they are communicating risk clearly, yet the CFO, CIO, or other C-suite members hear something very different. IANS Faculty Jessica Hebenstreit explains how AI can help CISOs communicate to the board. Watch the full video below.

 

Executives and board members focus on business outcomes and organizational risks, and security leaders must clearly connect security metrics to financial, operational, and regulatory impacts—or they will be overlooked or misunderstood. This is when AI, especially large language models (LLMs), can help. Instead of rewriting every report from scratch, security leaders can use AI to: 

  • Translate jargon-heavy content into clear business language
  • Customize summaries for different audiences (CFO, CIO, board)
  • Highlight business implications, not just technical details

DOWNLOAD NOW: 2026 CISO-Board Engagement Report

The idea is to create an executive-ready narrative on top, with technical depth available for those who need it. By using AI to align security language with the rest of the business, CISOs and other security leaders can turn security metrics into strategic conversations that drive better understanding, investment, and decision-making.

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Get the complete report now!

New data from IANS Research, Artico Search, and The CAP Group shows that while 95% of CISOs brief their boards regularly, those discussions often center on compliance rather than strategic risk. The 2026 CISO-Board Engagement Report, based on surveys of board directors and more than 663 CISOs, reveals where expectations diverge and how leading security leaders close the gap. The report highlights why cadence doesn’t equal depth, where boards believe CISOs underdeliver (including emerging threats and AI risk), and why only 15% of CISOs help shape strategy. Download the snapshot to gain practical, data-backed guidance for improving board-level cyber reporting, strengthening trust, and elevating cybersecurity conversations in the boardroom—and reach out if you’d like to discuss what these findings mean for your organization.

Although reasonable efforts will be made to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the information contained in our blog posts, no liability can be accepted by IANS or our Faculty members for the results of any actions taken by individuals or firms in connection with such information, opinions, or advice.

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