The CFO’s role has evolved. No longer focused solely on balance sheets and cash flow, today’s CFO is at the center of enterprise-wide decision-making, including cybersecurity. According to Gartner, over 70% of CFOs now oversee areas beyond finance, such as digital transformation, compliance, and cybersecurity for CFO functions. For finance leaders, that shift presents a new mandate: protect the business from financial and cyber risks.
And the cost of getting it wrong? It’s rising fast.
Cybercrime Is Costing Businesses More Than Ever
The financial consequences of cyberattacks are no longer theoretical. In 2024 alone, the average cost of a data breach hit $4.88 million, up 10% from the previous year. FBI reports show $16.6 billion in reported cybercrime losses, a staggering 33% increase year-over-year. Many of those incidents were tied directly to finance teams, whether through wire fraud, ransomware, or payment system exploits.
Financial departments are prime targets. Why? Because they control access to sensitive information and direct capital and often operate without the same layered defenses as IT environments. Attackers know this, and they’re exploiting it.
That’s why CFO cybersecurity priorities can’t be reactive. They must be embedded into your risk management strategy, budget planning, and compliance framework.
Why Financial Data Is Under Siege
Think of your finance function as the control center for business continuity. If cybercriminals gain access to it, they don’t just steal data; they disrupt payroll, paralyze vendor payments, exploit invoice systems, and compromise trust with stakeholders.
Here are just a few common attack vectors:
- Wire fraud through business email compromise (BEC), often impersonating executives or vendors
- Ransomware attacks that lock accounting and ERP systems, demanding payment in crypto
- Insider threats where finance personnel are tricked, bribed, or exploited for access
- Payment system exploits, targeting unpatched platforms or weak third-party integrations
If your financial operations go down, even temporarily, it creates cascading effects across your entire organization. That’s why financial data protection must be treated as a board-level priority.
Cybersecurity Is a Business Risk—Not Just an IT Problem
Cyber threats no longer live in the server room. They live in the boardroom, in email inboxes, and inside financial models. Yet, too many organizations still treat cybersecurity as a technical issue when it’s a strategic business risk.
Cyber risk management today requires financial oversight. It needs input from the CFO’s office on:
- Cost modeling and risk appetite
- Capital investments in cyber insurance and protection tools
- Ongoing evaluation of ROI across technology and security investments
By incorporating the cybersecurity strategy 2025 into your overall risk frameworks, you can align technology planning with business impact, something only finance leaders are uniquely positioned to do.
The CFO–CIO Partnership Is Now Mission-Critical
In many organizations, there’s still a silo between finance and IT. But that model no longer works. A CFO’s ability to safeguard the business increasingly depends on close collaboration with technology leaders.
Together, CFOs and CIOs must align on:
- Executive cybersecurity planning that maps technical solutions to financial goals
- Real-time visibility into where financial data resides, who accesses it, and how it’s protected
- Budget forecasting for managed cybersecurity services, cloud migration, and compliance efforts
- Defining the ROI of prevention versus recovery
Cybersecurity doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It needs strategic direction, and that direction must come from the top.
Regulatory Pressure Is Only Growing
CFOs are no strangers to compliance. However, the pace and complexity of cybersecurity regulations continue to intensify. From SEC reporting requirements to data privacy laws, failing to meet standards now leads to both fines and reputational damage.
IT risk and compliance management must be part of your planning cycle, not just a box checked during audit season. CFOs must understand what’s at stake: Are your financial systems aligned with frameworks like NIST or ISO 27001? Are your vendors compliant? Are incident response and reporting procedures clear and practiced?
Regulatory scrutiny is increasing. So is your accountability.
How Level5 Management Supports CFOs in Cybersecurity Leadership
At Level5 Management, we work directly with CFOs to translate cybersecurity into business terms. Not every organization has a CISO, but every organization has a CFO. That’s why our approach starts by aligning strategy with financial impact.
We help you:
- Develop and operationalize executive cybersecurity planning frameworks tailored to your business objectives
- Align cybersecurity investments with your risk posture, insurance coverage, and growth strategy
- Implement ongoing managed cybersecurity services that protect your systems without draining internal resources
- Maintain IT risk and compliance through proactive monitoring, audits, and reporting tools
- Leverage cloud IT solutions that supports scalable and secure finance operations across your environment
Whether you’re assessing risk exposure, building a new cybersecurity budget, or navigating regulatory audits, we act as an extension of your leadership team, not just another vendor.
Take Control of Cyber Risk, Without Slowing Down the Business
Protecting your company’s financial health is already your responsibility as a CFO. Cybersecurity is now a vital part of that responsibility. The threats are real. The costs are rising. And the expectations from regulators, shareholders, and your board, are higher than ever.
Level5 Management can help you lead with confidence.
Learn more about our managed cybersecurity services and IT security solutions built for financial leadership. We support CFOs who want to bring accountability, strategy, and resilience to every layer of cybersecurity planning.
