Buy vs Build: CISO’s guide to executive reporting & CCM

According to Panaseer’s 2025 Security Leaders Peer Report, 90% of CISOs feel they are expected to provide greater assurances on security control performance than ever before - but over half (56%) say they lack the trusted data they need to deliver. As demands for more regular reporting increases (STAT FROM SLPR), the traditional approach of data-wrangling, spreadsheets and multiple PowerPoint decks just isn’t scalable.

“As a CISO, I was working with teams to cut spreadsheets, PowerPoint decks, and just cranking data to get a view of how everything’s performing,” describes Oli Newbury.

“What I needed was an automated, out-of-the-box platform that provides visibility and oversight. When you think about the different platforms each of the executives in a company really relies on, traditionally the CISO didn’t have a platform. Panaseer is now that platform, with the management and governance CISOs can rely on.”

This is where a Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM) approach to cybersecurity performance can step in - offering a way to automate data gathering, normalize metrics, and generate executive-ready insights with traceable evidence and control context.

Why CCM is essential for modern executive reporting

Executive stakeholders aren’t just asking for more data - they’re asking for assurance on cybersecurity controls performance; for better, business-aligned insights that support strategic decision-making; for [ANOTHER POINT]

A continuous, automated approach to controls monitoring and effectiveness reporting will include:

• Automated evidence collection from a diverse toolset (vulnerability management, IAM, EDR)
• Normalized data processes (backed by data science) to ensure accuracy and reduce inconsistencies
• Mapped controls to business risk so reporting aligns with what matters most
• Visual dashboards designed for C-level consumption

Although some organizations choose to engineer their own in-house Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM) solution, purpose-built CCM platforms typically include a standardised controls library that aligns technical control checks to specific regulatory and internal requirements. Panaseer’s CCM platform, for example, includes over 250 cybersecurity metrics as standard, each mapped to relevant industry and frameworks. This creates a process where every control is documented and effectiveness mapped against frameworks and internal policies (this is especially important when almost all (92%) of security leaders state internal policies and standards are constantly evolving to keep pace with changing regulations).

Armed with that information (that is updated and validated daily), reporting on controls effectiveness and the overall performance of an organization’s security posture becomes a continuous, contextual, and credible process – drastically reducing the time taken to prepare board packs and improving the security team’s credibility at the leadership table.

But implementing either a CCM way-of-working or a CCM platform isn’t one-size-fits-all. For some security leaders, engineering their own solution using a data lake and visualization and analysis tool will provide the context they need. Others will use a purpose-built platform, such as Panaseer’s Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM) platform to utilise pre-defined metrics, framework mapping, and specialist support – whilst also saving considerable time and resource.

So, what are the differences, and what is right for your organisation?