Cybersecurity Is a CFO-Level Priority: Key Takeaways from the CFO Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Finance and security leaders from across industries recently joined Ontinue and Interlink Cloud Advisors at the CFO Cybersecurity Bootcamp for a candid and practical conversation on one of today’s most urgent business challenges: aligning CFOs and CISOs to drive better cybersecurity outcomes and stronger enterprise performance.

Cybersecurity Has Become a Business Imperative

Cybersecurity is now directly tied to liquidity, margins, enterprise valuation, regulatory exposure, and customer trust. With the SEC requiring disclosure of material cyber risks within four days and cybercrime losses hitting an estimated $17 billion, cybersecurity now sits squarely in the CFO’s domain. The conversation has shifted from cost avoidance to business value creation, supported by research showing that companies demonstrating strong cyber resilience attract more customers, investors, and partners.

Why CFO–CISO Alignment Is So Hard (and So Necessary)

CFOs and CISOs share the same objectives but often speak fundamentally different languages. One of the most illuminating moments came when Ontinue’s Alex Berger stepped into the role of “Dr. Alex,” guiding CFO Andreas Seidl and CISO Gareth Lindahl-Wise through a live “therapy” session, getting under the root causes of strained CFO–CISO dynamics:

• CISOs think in risk reduction, controls, and operational maturity.

• CFOs think in cash flow, ROI, and measurable business outcomes.

Both sides expressed a desire for transparency, clearer KPIs, and shared business cases that convert security investments into quantifiable business value.

The biggest unlock?
Creating a shared lexicon, translating operational security metrics into financial outcomes CFOs can trust.

The Business Case for Modernizing Cybersecurity (and Why MDR Matters)

Midway through the session, the conversation turned tactical: what does an effective, financially sound cybersecurity strategy actually look like today?

Interlink CTO Mike Wilson used real‑world examples to explain how:

• The old “castle‑and‑moat” model has collapsed in a cloud‑first, hybrid‑work world

• Human‑operated ransomware has become the dominant threat model

• Attackers now target identity, email, and cloud services as the first point of entry

• Fragmented tools and siloed telemetry slow teams down and inflate costs

This is why more organizations are consolidating on integrated security suites and partnering with MDR providers like Ontinue.

The financial upside of MDR and Microsoft consolidation includes:

• Lower total cost of ownership

• Reduced vendor sprawl

• Faster detection and response

• Lower breach risk and associated financial loss

• Better retention of scarce security talent

• Higher ROI from Microsoft E5 capabilities already owned but under‑utilized

For CFOs, this means predictability, efficiency, and quantifiable value.

How CFOs Can Lead a More Strategic Cybersecurity Agenda

Three clear recommendations emerged for CFOs seeking stronger alignment and stronger outcomes:

1. Treat cybersecurity as a strategic investment as opposed to discretionary spend. Use ROSI/ROI frameworks to measure risk reduction, resilience, and business impact.

2. Build a shared business plan with your CISO.This avoids the “talking past each other” problem and clarifies:

   1. What the business is trying to achieve

   1. How security supports those goals

   1. Which metrics matter to both functions

3. Choose partners who earn your trust. 

   1. CFOs should expect transparency, proof points, and meaningful collaboration—not black boxes or jargon. 

   1. The best partners aren’t just vendors; they help you build your business case, translate complex security concepts into financial terms, and support measurable outcomes.

Why Ontinue + Interlink Makes Sense for CFOs

A major theme throughout the bootcamp was the importance of pairing technical depth with business clarity.

Interlink helps organizations navigate Microsoft’s complex licensing landscape, maximize value from the tools they already own, and deploy the right capabilities the right way.

Ontinue extends that value into 24/7 managed detection and response aligned to Microsoft security, helping organizations:

• Lower risk

• Strengthen posture

• Reduce operational overhead

• Demonstrate measurable business impact

Together, Ontinue and Interlink deliver a continuous security operating model built for CFO expectations: transparent, efficient, predictable, and tied directly to business outcomes.

Additional Cybersecurity Resources for CFOs