Turning Cyber Risk Into Boardroom Metrics That Matter

Forbes

6 days ago

Bridging the gap between cybersecurity and the boardroom, organizations are translating technical ... More risk into dollars and business impact to drive smarter, ROI-focused decisions.
Cybersecurity has always come with a translation problem. Technical teams speak in terms of vulnerabilities and threats, while boards want to understand risk in dollars and business impact. As attacks become more costly and regulatory scrutiny grows, however, the gap between technical risk and business accountability is shrinking fast.
The Boardroom Is Asking New Questions
Boards and executives increasingly want to know: How much risk are we taking on, in real financial terms? Are cybersecurity investments justified? Are we actually reducing exposure—or just reacting to the latest crisis?
All fair and valid questions.
The pressure to answer these questions isn't just external. Internally, organizations are moving away from blank-check security budgets. Leaders expect to see risk—and progress—quantified in business language: dollars, business impact, and return on investment.
From Jargon to Dollars
It is an eternal struggle. For most companies cybersecurity is a cost center, not a revenue-generating function. The better cybersecurity is at achieving its stated objectives, the less necessary it seems—if there are no successful attacks, why spend so much money on defending against them?
Cyber risk quantification is quickly gaining ground as a bridge between IT and the C-suite that addresses this challenge. The promise is simple: turn technical scenarios into dollar-based outcomes so everyone is on the same page. CRQ platforms don't just talk about possible vulnerabilities—they show what a breach could really cost, how an investment reduces exposure, and where risk is shifting across the organization.
This approach is becoming the new standard as boards and regulators demand clear evidence of measurable progress.
A New Player in the US Market
The changing landscape is driving international players to expand their presence. Squalify, a Munich-based cyber risk quantification provider, just announced its U.S. entry, launching with a Bay Area healthcare customer. The company's platform, backed by Munich Re's cyber loss data, aims to help organizations move from reactive, compliance-based security toward proactive, ROI-driven strategies.
Asdrúbal Pichardo, CEO of Squalify, told me that the timing is no accident. 'We're entering the U.S. market at a critical inflection point for cybersecurity leadership. There's a growing mandate—from regulators, boards, and shareholders—for CISOs to connect cybersecurity decisions with business performance. That means moving beyond technical jargon and translating cyber risk into financial terms,' he explained.
Squalify's platform is designed to help organizations model risk across subsidiaries, run simulations on the impact of new controls, and deliver concise, visual board reporting. Pichardo emphasized the importance of aligning security and business outcomes: 'We help leaders go beyond checklists and into financial strategy by giving them the ability to express cyber risk in the same terms used by the CFO and board: dollars, probabilities, and business impact.'
Henry Meds, Squalify's first U.S. customer, uses these insights to align security investments with business continuity, patient trust, and regulatory expectations—demonstrating measurable progress to their board. As Brian Cook, senior IT & security manager at Henry Meds, puts it: 'It's the first time I've been able to show my Executive Board, with confidence, that we're focused on the right threats and making measurable progress.'
Features That Matter to the C-Suite
Multi-entity risk management lets large organizations assess and compare risk across subsidiaries—key for groups operating in highly regulated sectors. Decision simulations allow CISOs to model how new investments or business moves might alter the company's risk profile. Executive dashboards translate complex technical data into clear, actionable insights for leadership.
For many security leaders, this ability to speak the same language as finance and risk teams is a potential game-changer. It makes cybersecurity not just a technical requirement, but a strategic lever.
Security as a Business Function
This shift is happening as industries from healthcare to manufacturing face greater regulatory and operational risk.
Boards now expect transparency, defensible metrics, and ROI-driven decisions—not just technical assurances. As Pichardo puts it, 'Compliance is necessary, but it's not sufficient. We help CISOs shift from being viewed as a cost center to being recognized as a business enabler.'
Accountability and ROI
The U.S. market is especially primed for this shift. High-profile breaches and increasing regulatory demands are pushing organizations to show that security spending delivers real value. The rise of financial metrics doesn't eliminate risk—but it makes it easier to justify, prioritize, and manage across all levels of leadership.
Cyber risk quantification isn't a silver bullet. But as companies look to move from checklists to strategy, and from compliance to confidence, quantifying cyber risk in dollars may finally allow boards and security leaders to have the same conversation.