Which role is primarily responsible for aligning security cost assessments with organizational budgets?

• A. Chief Security Officer (CSO)
• B. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
• C. Chief Risk Officer (CRO)
• D. Security Architect

Answer: (A)

Aligning security cost assessments with the organization's budget is a governance task that ties security goals to financial planning. The Chief Security Officer oversees enterprise security governance, ensuring security initiatives and controls are funded in a way that aligns with business priorities and financial constraints. This role works with finance to justify investments, evaluate the cost-benefit of controls, and monitor spend against the budget and risk posture. While the CISO focuses on implementing the security program and managing risk, the CRO manages overall enterprise risk, and a Security Architect designs controls, the responsibility for aligning security costs with the budget sits with the CSO.