Artificial intelligence is triggering massive changes across every industry. Entire departments are being reshaped, headcounts cut, and responsibilities reassigned — all in the name of “efficiency.”
So where does that leave the Chief Information Security Officer?
According to insights from the NTSC 2025 8th Annual National CISO Policy Conference, CISOs are not just still relevant — they’re critical. But the systems around them? They’re getting gutted. And that’s putting every organization at risk.
Let’s get one thing straight: the role of the CISO isn’t going anywhere. Why? Because cyber threats aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they’re becoming more persistent, more autonomous, and more aggressive, especially with the rise of agentic AI.
As one executive put it, “We have real enemies.” Nation-state actors. Criminal gangs. AI-powered scammers. And what’s on the line isn’t just IP — it’s water systems, power grids, and banking infrastructure.
But here’s the kicker: even as threats escalate, the support structure around CISOs is quietly eroding.
Organizations, especially large ones, are beginning to see AI as a shortcut to reduce headcount. Communication specialists, awareness trainers, cybersecurity educators — they’re all being cut under the assumption that AI can handle the messaging.
What’s really happening?
These responsibilities are being reassigned to internal communications teams. The logic goes: “They already communicate with employees — why not add cybersecurity to their list?”
Because communicating accurately about cybersecurity isn’t the same as writing up the company picnic schedule.
The result? A surge in sloppy, unvetted content, often copy-pasted from AI tools like GPT or Perplexity, riddled with hallucinations and inaccuracies. To the untrained eye, it might look polished. But to a security expert, it’s a liability waiting to blow up.
Despite all the tech, most breaches still come down to a careless click, a misplaced password, or a misunderstood alert. Human error remains the #1 vulnerability.
And yet — in the most ironic twist — the roles dedicated to educating and engaging employees about cybersecurity are being downsized or reassigned to non-specialists who are already buried under HR tasks and corporate noise.
Imagine Rebecca from HR, already managing policy updates, benefits emails, and compliance memos… now responsible for translating an urgent zero-day exploit alert into a workforce-ready communication.
She’s not a security expert. She doesn’t have time to vet AI content. And she certainly isn’t keeping up with threat reports.
This is how major vulnerabilities slip through the cracks.
One CISO from a large public company, facing the exact scenario above, put it bluntly:
“They’re going to look at all the money they’re saving… until something blows up in 2026. Then they’ll come running back.”
Instead of waiting for the fallout, he’s taking action now — partnering with Aware Force as a bridge between his shrinking team and the overloaded internal comms department.
While AI can accelerate content creation, it can’t replace the expertise required to clearly and credibly explain evolving cyber threats to non-technical employees.
That’s where Aware Force thrives — offering vetted, high-impact cybersecurity content that communicates risk in a way employees understand and remember. We’re fast. We’re accurate. And we know how to get attention inside a busy workplace.
AI is not the enemy. Poorly implemented AI is the enemy.
If your organization is downsizing security comms in the name of efficiency, now’s the time to reassess. The CISO role is safe — but your internal defenses may not be.
Before the breach, not after it, is when you need to act.
Aware Force helps bridge the gap between cybersecurity leadership and the workforce. We’re trusted by organizations nationwide to deliver the right message, the right way — every time.
