Wireless security has moved from being a niche concern to a core enterprise risk. Organizations today operate in an environment where nearly every asset, from laptops and smartphones to IoT devices and building control systems, transmits over wireless frequencies. Estimates put the number of wireless devices globally in the several 10s of billions. Over 5.5 billion people use mobile phones globally. There are over 19 billion connected IoT devices globally. Many of these wireless devices are now in the workplace. This expanded attack surface has introduced new threats, ranging from data exfiltration and device hijacking to espionage and facility disruption.
Despite the growing importance of wireless threat detection, ownership of this domain is not always clear. Should the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) own wireless security because of its impact on data and compliance? Or should the Chief Security Officer (CSO) lead because of its implications for physical and organizational safety?
This article explores both perspectives and highlights why collaboration may be the most effective path forward.
Why the CISO Should Own Wireless Security
The CISO’s mandate revolves around protecting data, networks, and systems. Since many wireless threats translate directly into digital compromise, it’s natural to view wireless detection as part of the cybersecurity portfolio.
For example, a large financial services company found that on at least four occasions over the course of a month, a device moved around a data center facility with a Wi-Fi access point, and a device in one of the server cabinets immediately connected to it for an average of sixty-two minutes. After each visit, the person carrying the device, likely a phone, would leave the facility.
In a recent breach, an international bank found a Raspberry Pi single‑board computer in a cabinet. Criminal operators had slipped the board into place, paired it with a 4G USB modem, and plugged its USB‑C power lead into the nearest outlet. The improvised kit offered a clean cellular path straight into the bank’s internal network, quietly sidestepping every perimeter firewall and NAC control the institution relied on for years.
In these situations, the CISO is responsible since it involves IT equipment, systems, and information.
1. Alignment with Cybersecurity Strategy
Wireless risks such as rogue access points, unauthorized hotspots, and compromised IoT devices mirror traditional cyber threats. The CISO already manages programs for vulnerability management, intrusion detection, and network monitoring. Adding wireless detection to this structure allows organizations to maintain consistency and avoid creating silos.
2. Protection of Data Assets
CISOs are responsible for defending the confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA triad) of enterprise information. Wireless exploitation, whether through sniffing data in transit, hijacking a wireless device, or planting a malicious sensor, can directly undermine these principles. Ownership by the CISO places wireless detection squarely within the existing digital defense ecosystem.
3. Regulatory and Compliance Oversight
Compliance frameworks increasingly address wireless threats. NIST 800-53 requires Wireless Intrusion Detection Systems (WIDS) for specific organizations, while PCI DSS and HIPAA also touch on wireless monitoring. Given that compliance reporting, audits, and regulatory alignment already sit with the CISO, assigning ownership to this role strengthens accountability.
4. Incident Response Integration
Wireless detection feeds critical insights into Security Operations Centers (SOCs). SOC analysts and incident responders can process alerts about unauthorized hotspots or cellular interceptors alongside malware alerts, phishing attempts, and insider threat indicators. Since the CISO’s teams already run these workflows, they can better integrate wireless detection seamlessly into incident response.
Why the CSO Should Own Wireless Security
While many wireless risks affect data, they also pose significant physical and organizational security challenges. The CSO, who oversees the safety of people, facilities, and assets, often has a broader mandate that extends beyond digital environments.
For example, a large corporation recently found an alarming number of items that foreign visitors had left in its headquarters, which contained embedded wireless listening devices. In a similar incident, a local government official discovered a wireless listening device concealed in a fixture in their office. In both instances, the perpetrators were attempting to eavesdrop on sensitive conversations.
In another example, a Fortune 100 company found that an unknown person had left an O.MG cable (a Wi-Fi-enabled penetration testing tool disguised as a typical USB cable for charging mobile phones) in an executive conference room. The perpetrator would have been able to wirelessly access the cable and execute malicious scripts on any device connected to it.
In these situations, the CSO is typically responsible since it involves personnel and facilities security situations.
1. Convergence of Physical and Digital Threats
Wireless signals do not stop at firewalls. Attackers may use wireless devices to gain physical access, turn off alarms, or intercept executive communications. For example, a hidden wireless camera transmitting video over Wi-Fi or cellular falls more naturally under the CSO’s domain than the CISO’s. Ownership by the CSO reflects this convergence of physical and digital risks.
2. Facility-Level Visibility
Physical security programs already cover surveillance, access control, and guard operations. Wireless detection complements these systems by providing visibility into RF activity within and around facilities. For example, detecting a Bluetooth beacon that tracks employee movement or a hidden wireless listening device implanted to eavesdrop on sensitive conversations may require a CSO-led operational response.
3. Protection from Espionage and Insider Threats
Many espionage techniques involve covert transmitters or unauthorized wireless sensors. These devices not only leak information but may also facilitate physical breaches. The CSO’s investigative teams are often better equipped to act on such threats, conducting sweeps, coordinating with law enforcement, and managing insider investigations.
4. Holistic Risk Management
The CSO typically maintains responsibility for enterprise risk from a broader perspective, covering people, facilities, and continuity of operations. As wireless risks increasingly influence all three areas, it becomes logical to place ownership with the CSO, who can prioritize them alongside other organizational threats.
Real-World Considerations
The debate between CISO and CSO ownership is not theoretical. Different industries and organizational models take different approaches:
- Financial services: Regulatory pressures and data sensitivity often push wireless detection into the CISO’s domain, aligning with cybersecurity and compliance mandates.
- Defense and aerospace: Concerns about espionage and physical intrusion typically favor CSO leadership, given the focus on protecting facilities, prototypes, and personnel.
- Healthcare: Wireless-enabled medical devices pose both safety and privacy risks. In many cases, CISOs and CSOs must coordinate closely to protect patients and comply with HIPAA requirements.
- Large enterprises: Some organizations with mature security programs create cross-functional teams where the CISO and CSO share responsibility, supported by wireless security specialists.
The Middle Ground: Shared Responsibility
While strong arguments exist for both sides, the reality is that wireless security bridges cyber and physical domains. No single role can fully address the scope of wireless threats on its own.
A collaborative model may offer the most effective path:
- CISO responsibilities: Oversee wireless detection platforms, integrate alerts into cybersecurity operations, manage regulatory reporting, and align detection with the broader cyber defense strategy.
- CSO responsibilities: Investigate physical manifestations of wireless threats, respond to espionage-related incidents, coordinate with law enforcement, and act on threats to people or facilities.
This division leverages each role’s strengths while avoiding gaps in coverage.
Key elements of a shared wireless security model include:
- Joint Monitoring: Both teams should share visibility into the organization’s wireless environment. Using coordinated tools and intel, they can detect rogue access points, unknown devices or signals, and other anomalies. Protecting against such blended threats requires that physical security staff understand cyber tactics and IT security staff understand physical vulnerabilities. By pooling their insights, the CSO and CISO ensure that wireless attack attempts are spotted early.
- Unified Policies: The CSO and CISO should jointly develop and enforce policies governing wireless use. This joint policy should include on-site device rules (e.g., prohibiting unauthorized Wi‑Fi routers or Bluetooth dongles at facilities) and technical controls (e.g., strong encryption and authentication). Coordinated staff training would be beneficial as well. Employees should receive one clear set of guidelines on wireless security. If the CSO and CISO roles remain separate, they must still work “in lockstep” on these policies to present a consistent defense.
- Coordinated Incident Response: Wireless incidents demand a team effort. The CISO’s team might lead the technical containment (shutting down a compromised Wi‑Fi network, analyzing malware). Meanwhile, the CSO’s team manages on-site actions (locating and removing rogue hardware, addressing any physical breach). The goal is that no aspect of a wireless security incident, whether a door opened by an attacker or data stolen over Wi‑Fi, falls outside either team’s response plan. A collaborative response ensures rapid containment and investigation from both the cyber and physical angles.
Conclusion
Wireless security no longer fits neatly into either cyber or physical domains. Attackers exploit weak links by blending physical and cyber tactics, so siloed teams may fail to catch these convergent threats. A unified approach is the only effective defense. The CISO brings expertise in data protection, compliance, and incident response, while the CSO brings expertise in physical security, facility monitoring, and holistic risk management.
Organizations that thrive in today’s threat environment recognize that wireless detection is not an “either/or” responsibility but a shared challenge. The CSO and CISO, working as partners, can provide joint visibility, enforce cohesive policies, and coordinate responses to secure the organization’s wireless landscape. This cooperative model leverages both perspectives to build a more resilient defense. By fostering collaboration between the CISO and CSO, enterprises can strengthen their defenses, protect both data and people, and create a unified approach to managing wireless risk.
