Datatel Podcast Launches on Why CFOs Can’t Look Away From Cybersecurity

Financial leaders are increasingly finding that cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern it has become a strategic risk directly in the hands of the CFO. In the latest episode of the podcast series from Datatel., a leader in IVR Payments and secure payment technologies, executives take a deep dive into the rising financial stakes of cyber-risk and why finance departments must take the lead.

The episode, titled “When Risk Hits the Ledger: Why CFOs Can’t Look Away From Cybersecurity,” explores how major cyber-incidents such as ransomware attacks, vendor breaches and compliance failures now trigger serious financial consequences including frozen cash flows, regulatory fines, legal costs and reputational damage. According to recent data, the average cost of a data breach in 2024 reached US$4.45 million globally a number that heavily underscores the shift from “IT problem” to full company risk.

Key themes discussed in the podcast include:

• Financial Fallout: The true cost of a breach is often less about the technical fix and more about business disruption, legal exposure and customer trust erosion.

• CFO Accountability: When payment data is exposed, or a vendor’s vulnerability sparks a regulatory investigation, finance is often held accountable not IT.

• Vendor & Third-Party Risk: With 63% of companies reporting breaches traced to third parties, CFOs must oversee vendor security and contract risk not leave it to procurement alone.

• CFO-CISO Partnership: The most effective organizations see finance and security leaders aligning metrics, budgets and governance to protect operations and the balance sheet.

“Cybersecurity is no longer a back-office discussion,” said a Barnard Crespi, Datatel’s Co-CEO . “Today, every incident has a ledger entry, and finance leaders must sit at the table with security teams not just react after the fact.”

This episode delivers actionable insight for CFOs, controllers and finance teams concerned about how evolving cyber-threats expose business risk, hamper cash flow, and impact strategic growth. By redefining cyber-risk as a governance, operations and financial challenge, the podcast provides a roadmap for organizations that want to move from reactive firefighting to proactive resilience.

The full episode, When Risk Hits the Ledger: Why CFOs Can’t Look Away From Cybersecurity, is now available here: Listen Now