He was brilliant, respected, and tired. After two years of trying to modernise a complex operational technology environment, deal with legacy systems, and fight for budget while downplaying real threats, the Chief Information Security Officer of one of the region’s largest oil firms handed in his resignation. Not because he was unfit for the role, but because no one would let him do it.
Oil & Gas
This is not an isolated case. Across the industry, seasoned cybersecurity leaders are leaving Oil & Gas roles, not for better pay, but for the chance to be heard. They arrive with plans to build, modernise, and protect critical infrastructure from the inside out. Instead, they run into resistance, outdated mindsets, endless approval loops, and a culture that treats cybersecurity as a necessary expense rather than a business enabler.
In exit interviews, the same words appear again and again. Isolated. Undermined. Exhausted. CISOs describe sending urgent risk reports that sit unanswered for months. They talk about board meetings where production updates receive half an hour, and cybersecurity gets three minutes. They recount being pressured to sign off on solutions they would never recommend just to avoid slowing down operations.
Over time, the push becomes quieter. The vision fades. Eventually, they leave.
We support the people responsible for securing them
When a CISO walks away, it is not just a vacancy. It is the loss of vision, structure, and momentum. In critical infrastructure sectors, that gap is not just operational. It is strategic.
At Alexsta Cybersecurity, we work to change that outcome. We do not just secure systems.
We support the people responsible for securing them. We help CISOs develop board-level narratives that resonate with decision makers. We train executives to ask sharper, more relevant questions about risk and resilience. We facilitate open conversations between security leaders, operational teams, and the board.
Because cybersecurity in Oil & Gas is not only a technical challenge. It is a cultural one.
If you are in leadership and your CISO seems disengaged or distant, do not wait for the resignation letter. Sit down. Ask what they need. Listen, not as a formality, but as a survival strategy. Retaining cybersecurity leadership is not about keeping one person. It is about keeping the trust, expertise, and forward motion that person brings.
Once it walks out the door, the risk does not stay behind. It leaves with them.
We help bridge the communication gap between technical leaders and business decision makers so that cyber priorities align with operational goals.
We translate complex threat scenarios into business terms that resonate with executives, ensuring cybersecurity has a seat at the decision table.
We provide support and strategy sessions for security leaders facing organisational resistance, helping them maintain influence and momentum.
We work with operations, IT, and security teams to make cybersecurity part of the organisational DNA rather than a side department.
We run simulations that involve both executives and security teams, building mutual understanding and faster decision-making in a crisis.
We help companies strengthen CISO retention strategies and prepare for leadership transitions without losing continuity.
When you work with us, you gain more than a cybersecurity service. You gain a strategic sentinel committed to your resilience.
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