IANS Research and Artico Search Release Snapshot Report on Fortune 500 Security Organizational Design Trends
BOSTON, Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IANS Research and Artico Search released a snapshot report previewing key findings from its 2025 Security Organizational Design Benchmark Report. The snapshot report offers CISOs an inside look at how Fortune 500–size enterprises structure their security organizations, allocate staffing budgets, and set compensation levels for leadership and technical roles. Drawing on proprietary data from IANS' annual CISO Compensation and Budget Study and Security Staff Compensation and Career Survey of 1,500 CISOs and security professionals, the report delivers insights to help CISOs align organizational design with business strategy. The full Security Organizational Design Benchmark Report breaks out the data above for three company size segments, including Fortune 500, large, and mid-size enterprises, and is available upon request.
"As cybersecurity organizations scale, CISOs must ensure that their organizational structures support their security strategy," said Nick Kakolowski, Research Director at IANS Research. "This snapshot helps CISOs benchmark their structures against peer organizations and make data-backed decisions to optimize leadership depth, team design, and compensation."
Key Findings from the Snapshot Report:
- Security leadership depth grows with enterprise scale. Fortune 500-size organizations typically feature four or more layers of leadership with dedicated heads for subfunctions such as SecOps, GRC, IAM, and Architecture & Engineering. More than 40% have a dedicated deputy CISO, often serving as the CISO's right hand and successor.
- Compensation rises with organizational size. A head of SecOps at a Fortune 500 company earns an average annual cash compensation of $307,000, which is 25% higher than peers at large enterprises and 40% higher than those at mid-size companies.
- Board and CEO engagement is now standard at the Fortune 500 level. 95% of Fortune 500 CISOs engage directly with the board, with one-third meeting the full board quarterly and more than two-thirds engaging quarterly with audit or risk committees.
- The deputy CISO role is maturing. 31% of Fortune 500 organizations have a full-time, dedicated deputy CISO, while another 13% assign the role to functional department heads as part of a combined position.
- MSSP adoption remains strong. More than half of Fortune 500 organizations use MSSPs, primarily for threat detection and response, incident response, and network security monitoring.
"For CISOs at large companies, the challenge isn't just hiring; it's structuring the organization for scale and resilience," added Steve Martano, IANS Faculty and Partner at Artico Search's Cyber Practice. "Our findings highlight how Fortune 500 firms are redefining leadership layers and compensation models to meet the demands of modern enterprise security."
Download the Snapshot Report or request a copy of the full benchmark report by contacting info@iansresearch.com. Security leaders will find practical strategies for companies of all sizes to strengthen resilience and build flexibility into their organization so that they can quickly adapt as needs evolve in an unpredictable threat landscape.
About IANS Research
IANS helps cybersecurity leaders act faster and make better decisions that move the business forward. With insight and actionable guidance from over 150 expert practitioners on everything from evolving security risks to executive coaching, you've got a team 100% focused on security that's always in your corner.
About Artico Search
Founded in 2021, Artico Search's team of executive recruiters focuses on a "grow and protect" model, recruiting senior go-to-market and security executives in growth venture, private equity, and public companies. Artico's dedicated security practice delivers CISOs and other senior-level information security professionals for a diverse set of clients.
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SOURCE IANS Research