As cyber threats grow more advanced in 2025, business leaders face increasing pressure to invest in cybersecurity. However, getting your cybersecurity budget approved by the board remains one of the toughest challenges for CISOs, IT managers, and consultants alike. The board is concerned with business risk, profitability, and compliance—not just technical specifications.
To get buy-in, you must present your cybersecurity budget in a way that connects with their priorities. This article outlines a clear, business-focused strategy to help you communicate value, reduce resistance, and secure approval for your cybersecurity investment in 2025.
Understand the Board’s Priorities
Before building your case, take time to understand what truly matters to your board members. While technical risks are important, the board is more concerned with business impact. Their focus often includes financial loss prevention, operational continuity, regulatory compliance, and reputation management.
If you approach the conversation with these concerns in mind, you’re already halfway to success. Speak in terms they understand—risk, return, and competitive advantage—not acronyms and firewalls.
Shift from Technical Language to Business Impact
Many cybersecurity proposals fail because they’re packed with jargon. Board members don’t respond to talk of intrusion detection systems or patch cycles. What they care about is how security investment protects business value.
Translate technical risks into real-world consequences. For example, explain how a ransomware attack could halt operations for a week and result in substantial financial loss. If a breach exposes customer data, what will be the reputational fallout, potential fines, and impact on customer retention?
Frame your proposal in terms of business impact. Show how each line of spending ties back to preventing loss or enabling growth.
Quantify Risk to Strengthen Your Argument
Risk quantification is one of the most powerful tools you can use in budget justification. Don’t rely on vague statements like “we might get hacked.” Instead, present data-driven scenarios that highlight the cost of inaction.
Where it makes sense, use these examples:
- A data breach in your sector costs an average of £3.5 million.
- An unpatched vulnerability could lead to downtime costing £50,000 per day.
- Regulatory non-compliance fines under DORA or GDPR can exceed six figures.
When you put risks into measurable terms, it becomes much easier for the board to understand the value of your proposed defences.
Use Industry Benchmarks for Context
Another effective tactic is showing how your budget compares with industry peers. If your competitors or similar businesses are investing 10–12% of their IT budget into cybersecurity, but you’re asking for only 6–8%, your request will appear modest and well-informed.
Referencing industry standards and frameworks like ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, or NIST also helps reassure the board that you’re taking a structured, recognised approach. It demonstrates that your budget isn’t based on guesswork—it’s built on best practice.
Structure Your Budget Around Business Objectives
Avoid presenting one large figure with no breakdown. Instead, categorise your budget into core areas tied to business outcomes. This structure helps the board see where money is going and why it’s needed.
For example, group your budget into:
- Prevention (e.g. firewalls, training)
- Detection and response (e.g. threat monitoring)
- Compliance (e.g. audits, frameworks)
- Recovery and resilience (e.g. backup systems)
This method shows strategic planning and helps justify each section based on its value to the business.
Emphasise the Cost of Inaction
In many cases, the most compelling justification is the potential cost of doing nothing. Cyber incidents are no longer rare. From ransomware to phishing to insider threats, businesses are regularly hit with attacks that result in downtime, legal issues, and reputational loss.
Show what the financial, legal, and operational impacts could be if investment is delayed. Use real-world examples from similar businesses to illustrate these consequences. Case studies create urgency and make abstract risks feel immediate and real.
Show ROI Through Measurable Outcomes
While cybersecurity is often seen as a cost centre, you can still show its return on investment. This doesn’t mean generating revenue—it means reducing risk, increasing efficiency, and ensuring business continuity.
Track and present improvements such as:
- Reduced incident response time
- Lower number of successful phishing attempts
- Better compliance audit outcomes
- Reduced downtime year over year
These metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of past investments and support the case for future funding.
Tailor the Message to Individual Stakeholders
Not all board members think alike. A one-size-fits-all presentation may not be persuasive. Instead, tailor parts of your proposal to reflect what each stakeholder values most.
For instance, the CFO may focus on cost savings and insurance premiums. The CEO may be more concerned about reputation and customer trust. The Chief Risk Officer will want to know how your plan aligns with compliance requirements.
By addressing their individual concerns, you make your case more relevant—and more likely to succeed.
Build a Continuous Dialogue
Don’t wait until annual budget meetings to raise cybersecurity. Make it a consistent conversation throughout the year. Share quarterly reports, incident summaries, or risk heat maps. Invite board members to attend tabletop exercises or risk briefings.
This ongoing engagement keeps cybersecurity top of mind and ensures that board members are already familiar with your work and priorities by the time funding discussions begin.
Conclusion
In 2025, justifying your cybersecurity budget is about more than numbers—it’s about strategy, risk, and long-term business resilience. For businesses across the UK, particularly in major financial hubs like London, aligning your proposal with the board’s objectives, quantifying risks, and clearly demonstrating value can turn a difficult conversation into a productive one.
Cybersecurity should not be seen as an optional expense or a fear-based purchase. When positioned correctly, it becomes a powerful business enabler—one that safeguards your organisation’s future while building confidence at every level of leadership.
