Inside the Strategy Room 267. Cybersecurity for CFOs: Defending against an accelerating threat
Sep 4, 2025
Charlie Lewis, a partner at McKinsey and leader of their North American and European cyber practices, shares invaluable insights on the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. He discusses how hackers now operate like organized businesses, pushing CFOs to understand their companies' vulnerabilities. He explains the dual role of emerging technologies in both enhancing security and introducing new risks. Collaboration is key; Lewis emphasizes the necessity for CFOs and CISOs to unite for effective strategies in combating global cyber threats.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Hackers Operate As Businesses
- Cybercriminals operate like professional businesses, investing in R&D and optimizing services for ROI.
- That commercialization plus Gen AI acceleration makes threats faster and more sophisticated.
Ice Cream Sandwich Supply-Chain Example
- Charlie used an ice cream sandwich supply-chain example to show concentration risk across suppliers.
- A single attack on one component (wrapper, ice cream, wafer) can halt the entire product flow.
Gen AI Lowers Attack Barriers
- Generative AI improves attackers' social-engineering and initial access methods like phishing and deepfakes.
- Attackers will use the same AI tools to scale and lower the skill needed to launch attacks.
