CFOs and CISOs continue to clash over cyber security spend, a situation worsened by organisations erroneously equating spend with resilience. (Image:123RF)
CFOs and CISOs are increasingly at odds over cyber security spending as companies invest heavily in tools while neglecting resilience, recovery and business continuity, according to industry experts.
Richard Ford, group CTO at Integrity360, said threat actors are exploiting this disconnect. While security teams invest in multiple solutions to stay ahead of threats, high spending does not necessarily translate into resilience. Poorly targeted investments can create overlap, blind spots and operational strain.
Companies can spend millions on security technologies and still suffer significant disruption from ransomware attacks if recovery plans are untested and backups are not secure, Ford said.
According to Integrity360, the Interpol 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report found that SA experiences an average of 12 281 ransomware attacks each month, with annual growth estimated at about 22%.
Experts say the tension stems partly from different perceptions of value.
Ford explained that CFOs see security budgets climbing every…
