Click on the image below to view the full infographic and discover:

• Who influences each stage of the cloud purchase process
• Where vendors can make an impact
• How buyers educate themselves
• How AI is changing technology purchasing
• What growing cloud investment means for marketers

That’s all changing.

Chief information security officers are no longer just gatekeepers, but increasingly central to budgeting, technology evaluation, and vendor selection. Technology marketers need to think about how to engage with this new buyer, whose priorities can differ significantly from the CIO’s.

¹ó´Ç³Ü²Ô»å°ù²â’s latest Security Priorities Study found that security leaders are now deeply embedded in executive decision-making. Almost all, 95%, regularly engage with the board of directors and 70% of organizations assign explicit responsibility for cyber risk to the board. In addition, the majority of CSOs now report directly to the CEO, which was recently reported in the brand new 2026 State of the CIO Survey.

While many CISOs still sit within IT, a growing number report directly to business leadership, including CEOs, chief risk officers, or boards. The takeaway: cybersecurity is increasingly seen as a strategic risk function rather than just an IT problem.

The expanding role of CISOs amplifies their role in purchasing decisions. Security leaders are now responsible for a broad portfolio that includes risk management, regulatory compliance, cloud security, data protection, and increasingly, artificial intelligence governance.

The ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ study revealed that more than half of CISOs believe their scope has become unmanageable with available resources. At the same time, they are expected to deliver on a broader range of business outcomes, from resilience to operational efficiency.

The research also found that security decision-makers are taking on greater responsibility for cybersecurity strategy, policy development, and emerging technologies, including AI. They are directly influencing budget allocation, with spending priorities tied to business objectives such as profitability, efficiency, and innovation.

This combination positions CISOs as key arbiters of value, not just risk.

For CISOs, this environment demands rigorous evaluation. Every investment must demonstrate not only technical effectiveness but also integration, scalability, and alignment with broader risk and business strategies.

For technology marketers, the implications are significant. Engaging CISOs requires a different approach than connecting with traditional IT buyers. Here are five strategies to employ.

• Lead with risk and business impact, not just features
  CISOs are accountable for enterprise risk. Messaging must connect directly to outcomes such as resilience, regulatory compliance, and risk reduction. Technical capabilities matter, but only in the broader context of measurable business value.
• Simplify complexity, don’t add to it
  More than three-quarters of security decision-makers say it is difficult to determine which tools best fit their needs. The operational burden of disconnected systems and overlapping technologies is growing. Given this fragmentation, CISOs prioritize solutions that reduce tool sprawl and technical overhead. Messages around platform consolidation, integration, and interoperability resonate more than point-solution differentiation.
• Be direct about AI’s risks and rewards
  While nearly three-quarters of respondents to the ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ study said they are more likely to consider a solution that leverages AI, they are also aware of the risks of data exfiltration, ungoverned use and errors. Effective messaging must acknowledge both sides, emphasizing governance, transparency, and control features of cybersecurity solutions.
• Support the full journey
  CISOs are deeply involved in every stage of the buying process, from early research to final approval. They rely on data, peer insights, and evidence-based validation. Content strategies should include research, benchmarks, and real-world use cases that support every stage of the decision-making process.
• Make solutions understandable
  Because CISOs are increasingly accountable to boards, they must translate technical decisions into business language. Marketers can support this by providing materials that help CISOs communicate value and risk to non-technical stakeholders.

The elevation of the CISO is not a temporary trend. It reflects the broader transformation of board-level attitudes toward cybersecurity as a core element of business strategy rather than a supporting function.

CISOs have become one of the most influential voices in enterprise technology. Winning in this market requires CISOs to treat them that way, using strategies centered on trust, value, and measurable outcomes.

ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½’s 2026 AI Priorities research reveals how organizations are moving from AI exploration to enterprise-wide implementation, where they are investing, the business outcomes they are achieving, and the challenges they must overcome to scale success.

View the infographic to learn:

• How far organizations have progressed in their AI adoption journey
• Why 65% of organizations now have dedicated AI budgets
• The top business objectives driving AI investments in 2026
• Where AI is delivering the greatest business impact, from productivity gains to process automation
• How generative AI is influencing technology buying decisions
• The biggest barriers organizations face when implementing AI at scale
• Which AI disciplines IT decision-makers are prioritizing for future expertise

Click on the image below to view the full infographic.

Additionally, 92% of APAC CIOs anticipate their overall IT budget will either increase or remain the same in 2026, with the top technology initiatives driving IT investments being Generative AI, AI/machine learning, and Agentic AI. Supporting this, 79% of APAC CIOs agree that they’re tasked with researching and evaluating possibly AI additions to their tech stack. 

In the infographic below, you’ll get a full view into:

• Budget expectations for CIOs in APAC
• The top business and technology priorities for this year
• Where CIOs are spending more and less time this year
• How AI is reshaping the CIO agenda in APAC

Click on the image below to view the full infographic.

These individuals are also optimistic about tech budget growth in order to move forward with their projects. Eighty-seven percent expect their overall IT budget to either increase or stay the same in 2026. Top reasons for budget increases include infrastructure modernization, additional investments in AI/machine learning projects, and keep pace with rising costs of technology and services. It’s also no surprise that given the AI frenzy this past year, 81% of EMEA CIOs say they’re tasked with researching and evaluating AI additions to add to their tech stack. 

In the infographic below, you’ll get a full view into:

• Budget expectations for CIOs in EMEA
• The top business and technology priorities for this year
• Where CIOs are spending more and less time this year
• How AI is reshaping the CIO agenda in EMEA

Click on the image below to view the full infographic.

The majority (83%) of North American CIOs say that their role is becoming more digital and innovation focused. These CIOs are spending more time on creating a framework and organizational structure to support initiatives and also aligning IT initiatives with business goals. 

In the infographic below, you’ll get a full view into:

• Budget expectations for CIOs in North America
• The top business and technology priorities for this year
• Where CIOs are spending more and less time this year
• How AI is reshaping the CIO agenda in North America

Click on the image below to view the full infographic.

¹ó´Ç³Ü²Ô»å°ù²â’s details how the role of the CIO continues to evolve and elevate in today’s business climate and defines the CIO agenda for 2026. This definitive benchmarking survey outlines the business and technology initiatives IT leaders expect to focus on in the coming year and where they expect to be more involved.

Like in past years, we consistently see the CIO increasingly leading business and technology initiatives (83%) while also planning to have more time for strategic tasks in the future. Much of their time is currently spent on working more closely with business leaders on potential AI initiatives and learning, emerging technology, and creating a framework and organizational structure to support AI initiatives. This year’s research found that 79% of CIOs agree that they’re working more closely with line of business on AI applications.

Key takeaways:

• The CIO role continues to be elevated due to the current state of the economy, putting a new level of pressure on heads of IT. These individuals remain optimistic about tech budget growth and also anticipate technology budgets that live outside of IT to switch ownership to IT.

• CIOs have a strong educational partnership with the CEO/board of directors. In fact, 65% of line of business view the CIO as a consultant or business leader, and 43% of LOB plans to work more closely with IT when determining the business need this year.

• Throughout the upcoming year, CIOs anticipate hiring talent in technology-related areas like AI/machine learning, cybersecurity, and data science/analytics. However, CIOs also anticipate having difficulty finding appropriate skill sets in these same areas as well.

• CIOs continue to strive towards a business strategist role, and report to be spending more time aligning IT initiatives with business goals and redesigning business processes compared to last year.

• Additional investments in AI/machine learning projects and/or products/services is the #1 reason for tech budgets increasing in 2026 and 34% say that staff and skills shortages are most often forcing them to redirect their time and focus away from strategic and innovative tasks.

• Due to its perceived automation and efficiency benefits, AI is constantly being explored and implemented. 76% of CIOs anticipate their involvement in AI/machine learning will increase over the next year, and another 70% expect their involvement in Agentic AI to increase.

Regional insights

Who is the North American CIO? View this infographic.

Marketing to EMEA CIOs? View this infographic.

What’s on the APAC CIO’s agenda? Find out in this infographic.

ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ the research

¹ó´Ç³Ü²Ô»å°ù²â’s 25th annual State of the CIO survey was fielded online with the objective of understanding the current parameters of the CIO role and how it may be changing over time. To be considered qualified, respondents must have identified themselves as the head of IT for their company or a division within it. Results are based on 662 qualified IT respondents, and 249 LOB responses. This study was fielded globally, with the response base being 36% North America, 20% EMEA, 42% APAC, and 1% LATAM.

Better understand the CIO audience

Explore how to sell to the CIO

It’s not always easy to sell technology. Here’s a guide for tech marketers to best understand who the CIO is, what they are focused on, and how to engage with them throughout the purchase process. View ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½’s Selling to the CIO page.

Listen to what CIOs have to say

Our study outlines how the CIO role continues to evolve in today’s business climate, and explores their business and tech initiatives as they navigate the impact of the current economic climate. See what they think.

How to market to CIOs around the world

Is your marketing scope region-specific? If so, it’s important to tailor your messaging – their priorities, responsibilities, and challenges may be very different in North America, EMEA or APAC. Check out these research findings.