5 CISO Must Reads For This Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Introduction

As we mark October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this year's theme, highlights the need to secure critical infrastructure. For CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers) and CSOs (Chief Security Officers) staying informed about the latest cyber risk management strategies and cyber regulatory updates is essential to building and maintaining robust cyber risk frameworks.

To help you strengthen your cyber resilience, we’ve compiled a list of 5 MetricStream must-reads that offer valuable insights into the evolving landscape of cyber risk management, governance, and compliance. These resources will equip you with the knowledge to better safeguard your organization in today's complex digital environment.

1. Five Connections Every Cyber Risk Leader Must Make for Driving Cyber Resilience

The role of CISOs is transforming. They no longer serve solely as enforcers of cybersecurity rules but now take on a strategic role, integrating cybersecurity with broader business goals. This eBook dives into the expanding responsibilities of modern CISOs and outlines the critical connections they must build to drive resilience.

Key insights include:

• The evolution of the CISO’s role in today’s business landscape
• Five crucial connections to build—internally, externally, and with industry trends
• Strategic advice on aligning cyber risk with business objectives

This guide is invaluable for CISOs looking to adopt a more integrated, business-aligned approach to cyber resilience.

2. The Ultimate Guide to Risk-Based Cyber Governance, Risk, and Compliance

In 2025, CISOs and CSOs face increasingly complex cyber threats fueled by AI-driven attacks, tighter regulations, and the blending of IT and OT environments. Managing third-party risk adds another layer of challenge, making proactive, AI-enhanced cyber resilience essential. This guide is a must-read for industry leaders aiming to lead cyber resilience with a forward-thinking, technology-driven approach aligned to modern business demands.

This eBook explores:

• The critical importance of addressing IT and OT cyber risks for stronger resilience
• How AI empowers smarter risk detection, rapid response, and streamlined compliance
• Strategies for meeting evolving regulatory mandates while reinforcing security posture

For those looking to advance their IT and cyber risk management programs, this is must-read.

3. Preparing for HIPAA’s 2025 Security Rule Updates

Healthcare sector is facing rising cyber threats amid major updates to HIPAA’s Security Rule, the most significant since 2005. These changes demand stronger protections for electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI), including enhanced documentation, regular risk assessments, multi-factor authentication, detailed technology inventories, and robust incident response plans. Read this essential eBook for healthcare leaders to stay ahead of evolving regulations and confidently protect patient data.

This eBook offers:

• A clear overview of the key 2025 HIPAA Security Rule updates and their impact
• Practical guidance to plan and implement the required changes effectively
• How MetricStream’s AI-first technology helps maintain continuous compliance and boost cyber resilience

This resource is perfect for CISOs in the financial sector who need to fortify their ICT frameworks against operational disruptions.

4. The Cyber Governance, Risk, and Compliance Journey: Understanding and Advancing Your Cyber GRC Maturity Levels

A well-rounded Cyber GRC strategy requires more than just technology—it demands organizational maturity. This eBook explores how businesses can assess their current Cyber GRC posture and outlines a structured approach to advancing their GRC maturity levels. It offers a holistic view of the journey toward integrated cyber risk management.

Key topics covered:

• An overview of the Cyber GRC Maturity journey and its stages
• Checklist of capabilities for each maturity stage
• How to use technology to accelerate progress on this journey

This resource is designed for organizations at any stage of their Cyber GRC journey, helping them elevate their cyber governance and risk strategies.

5. Cyber GRC in 2025: 10 Evolving Priorities You Can’t Ignore

With generative and agentic AI gaining traction, organizations have powerful new capabilities to predict and prevent cyberattacks at scale. But in the shadows, cybercriminals are using AI technologies to spread disinformation, create deepfakes, and orchestrate highly targeted phishing campaigns. Stopping these attacks will require increasingly advanced and agile defense mechanisms. But that’s not all organizations have to be concerned about. Data security and privacy regulations are constantly evolving, making it tough for security and compliance teams to keep up.

To help you stay ahead of these challenges, this eBook explores the top 10 Cyber GRC priorities for 2025 and beyond.

What you’ll find inside:

• An overview of how generative AI, third-party risks, and evolving regulations are redefining the cyber landscape.
• Top 10 cyber GRC priorities to watch out for in 2025
• Actionable steps to strengthen cyber risk and compliance efforts

This eBook is a critical read for CISOs who need clarity, foresight, and a practical roadmap to lead their organizations through an increasingly complex and AI-driven cyber risk landscape.

Streamline Cyber Risk Management and Build Cyber Resilience with MetricStream Cyber GRC

MetricStream’s AI-first Cyber GRC, built as an interconnected, intuitive, and intelligent connected GRC product set, empowers CISOs to connect cyber risk data from across the enterprise, including third and fourth-party vendors, and then use the actionable business intelligence to make data-driven decisions to build cyber resilience.

With MetricStream Cyber GRC, you can:

• Detect and resolve IT compliance issues faster with AI-powered intelligent issue management and automated workflows
• Quantify cyber risk in financial terms to improve reporting, communication, and investment decisions
• Gain real-time visibility into IT compliance posture through intuitive dashboards and reports
• Streamline controls across multiple regulations and frameworks to reduce complexity, effort, and cost

See Cyber GRC in action. Request a personalized demo today.