Cybersecurity Priorities Among CISOs in North America via CAWI

Project Overview :

A B2B CAWI study with Chief Information Security Officers and senior security leaders (CISO, VP Security, Security Directors) at North American organizations with 1,000+ employees, exploring budget allocation, threat priorities, and vendor evaluation criteria.

Challenge :

CISOs are among the hardest B2B audiences to reach: small population, intense schedule pressure, and high fraud attempts from professional respondents claiming security roles. The client needed 75 verified completes within 12 days with bulletproof seniority verification.

Solution :

Verification-first execution:

• Triple-Layer Role Verification : Profile data cross-check, LinkedIn-style role validation, and role-specific open-end screening.
• Technical Screening : Role-knowledge screens designed to filter out misrepresenting respondents without alienating genuine experts.
• Executive-Friendly LOI : Tight 14-minute instrument respecting senior time constraints.
• Concentrated Field Monitoring : Daily source-by-source quality review to intercept fraud patterns early.

Project Results :

Target: CISOs & security leaders, North America, 1,000+ employee organizations.

N Size: 75 completed interviews.

Length of Interview (LOI): 14 minutes.

Field Time: 12 days.

Fraud attempts were identified and removed throughout fielding without compromising the timeline. The client received clean, senior-level data on budget shifts, AI-security investment plans, and vendor selection processes.