Darren Argyle, former Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer at Standard Chartered Bank, shares how CISOs can move beyond compliance to become strategic business leaders.

Many security leaders remain stuck in a regulatory mindset, but true cyber resilience comes from aligning security with business objectives and risk management.

At Security Edge, Darren will join 150 CISOs and CSOs from Australia’s leading enterprise and government organisations to discuss how CISOs can gain executive influence, shift perceptions of cyber security, and secure a stronger role in business decision-making.

 

Compliance should be a trajectory, not the end goal

Darren emphasises that compliance should be seen as a trajectory rather than the final objective.

He warns that focusing too much on meeting regulations can distract security leaders from their core mission—preventing major cyber crises.

Instead, he advises CISOs to take a risk-based approach, ensuring security efforts align with business resilience and long-term objectives.

By shifting from a compliance-first mindset to one that integrates security with competitive advantage, CISOs can strengthen their strategic influence.

 

Regulators compare organisations—staying ahead is critical

Darren highlights that regulators do not assess organisations in isolation; they compare them to industry peers.

He explains that falling behind in security maturity can make an organisation a weak link, leading to heightened scrutiny and potential systemic risk concerns.

To avoid this, he stresses the importance of proactive engagement and transparency, ensuring organisations communicate their security posture, risk appetite, and progress clearly.

According to Darren, CISOs who own their regulatory narrative and provide well-structured metrics are better positioned to maintain credibility and avoid unnecessary oversight.

 

Executive influence is the key to unlocking resources

Darren describes executive influence as the most critical factor in securing cyber security investment.

He points out that many CISOs struggle to gain buy-in because they rely on technical explanations rather than framing security in terms of financial risk and business continuity.

To change this, he recommends running crisis simulations that force executives to experience the impact of cyber threats firsthand.

He has seen that when business leaders feel the financial and operational consequences of a security failure, they become far more likely to approve funding and prioritise cyber security before a crisis occurs.

 

Balancing the risks and opportunities of AI in cyber security

Darren acknowledges that AI presents both a challenge and an opportunity for cyber security leaders.

He refers to this as an AI paradox—on one hand, AI-driven attacks are increasing in speed and sophistication, but on the other, AI-driven security tools have the potential to strengthen defences.

However, he warns that excessive automation without proper governance can introduce new vulnerabilities rather than solving security challenges.

He advises CISOs to implement strong oversight, red teaming, and secure-by-design principles to ensure AI-driven security measures enhance rather than weaken their organisation’s cyber resilience.

 

What separates world-class CISOs from the rest

Darren believes that the most effective CISOs are those who combine strategic vision, executive presence, and leadership resilience.

He describes how top-performing CISOs focus on aligning security with business goals rather than acting as gatekeepers.

He stresses the importance of strong communication skills, enabling security leaders to engage executives in meaningful discussions rather than overwhelming them with technical details.

Finally, he highlights the need for resilient leadership, explaining that maintaining personal well-being and fostering a culture of security resilience is essential for long-term success.

 

Key takeaways

  • Compliance should be a trajectory, not the end goal. CISOs must focus on resilience and risk-based decision-making.
  • Regulators compare organisations within industries. Falling behind peers can increase scrutiny and systemic risk concerns.
  • AI presents both cyber risk and security opportunities. Strong governance, red teaming, and secure-by-design principles are essential.
  • Executive influence is critical. Security leaders must frame cyber security in terms of financial and operational impact to gain trust and investment.
  • Crisis simulations drive funding. Executives fund what they fear, making proactive cyber risk demonstrations essential.
  • The best CISOs balance strategic vision, executive presence, and leadership resilience to influence decision-making at the highest levels.
Contributors
Darren Argyle Former Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer at Standard Chartered Bank
Darren is an accomplished executive with close to 20 years of international cyber risk/security experience and served as the Group Chief Information... More

Darren is an accomplished executive with close to 20 years of international cyber risk/security experience and served as the Group Chief Information Security Risk Officer at Standard Chartered bank. He was recently appointed as Ambassador for the Global Cyber Alliance in recognition of his collaborative work advising small businesses in a voluntary capacity and is the Co-Founder/ Chairman of Cyber Leadership Institute.

Darren has a wealth of real-world hands-on leadership experience to impart; he was the former Group Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Qantas Airlines and, before coming to live in Australia, the former Chief Information Security Officer at IHS Markit, a global FinTech headquartered in the UK, and also held various senior international cyber security leadership roles at Symantec and IBM.

In 2016, Darren was featured on the front cover of SC Magazine (an award-winning cybersecurity media publication) then, in 2017 and 2022, was named in the top 100 Chief Information Security Officers globally, and, in 2018, was listed in the top 100 IT security influencers globally. Darren is adept at using real-world stories to demonstrate the critical importance of striving for cyber resilience.

 

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Justina Uy Content Strategist
Justina Uy is a data-driven content producer that thrives on democratising elite know-how to empower Australia’s underdogs. Skilled at translating complex ideas... More

Justina Uy is a data-driven content producer that thrives on democratising elite know-how to empower Australia’s underdogs.

Skilled at translating complex ideas into a compelling story across formats and channels, she shifts seamlessly between writing long-form articles, creating viral social media posts, and producing thumb-stopping videos.

Since 2015, Justina executes her vision through a sophisticated understanding of the rapidly evolving digital and business landscape to serve entertaining and educational insights to the executive community.

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