Cybersecurity Is a Growth Strategy: A CISO’s View from the Front Lines

Cybersecurity has long been viewed as a cost center—something businesses tolerate because they have to. But Dean Sapp wants to flip that narrative. As CISO of legal tech leader Filevine, he’s seen firsthand how building a strong cybersecurity business strategy can accelerate growth.

In this episode of Go Beyond the Connection, Dean shares why security is no longer just an IT function. It’s a strategic pillar for revenue growth, customer trust, and brand protection—and ignoring that reality is a risk companies can’t afford.

“A breach can hit profits overnight—strong security is truly a business enabler,” Dean says.

From Reactive to Proactive: Why IT Leaders Must Lead the Security Conversation

For many organizations, cybersecurity efforts begin only after something goes wrong. Dean challenges that approach. He explains how smart companies are shifting left—embedding security considerations earlier in development cycles, vendor partnerships, and executive planning.

Making Cybersecurity a Business Strategy, Not Just IT’s Job

This isn’t just technical hygiene. It’s strategic foresight.

“When you tie security initiatives to things like brand reputation or customer retention,” Dean explains, “the executive team starts listening differently.”

👉 Learn how Bigleaf ensures secure and resilient connectivity

Translating Risk into Revenue Protection

Too often, security risks are communicated in jargon: vulnerabilities, zero-days, endpoints. Dean argues for a clearer message—one that connects the dots between risk and business outcomes.

A good security leader, he says, must be bilingual—able to translate technical risks into boardroom language. Part of your business strategy with cybersecurity is the ability to communicate why it’s important to your stakeholders.

“If you can say, ‘Here’s how this threat could cost us customers or delay product delivery,’ you’re speaking the language of growth.”

That communication shift turns cybersecurity from a blocker into a strategic advisor.

🧠 Understand the financial implications of network disruptions

Aligning Security with Business Goals

Dean shares that his most successful initiatives came from aligning security with company objectives—not slowing them down. For example, when Filevine expanded its remote workforce, security had to evolve in tandem to protect productivity without adding friction.

Instead of locking systems down, Dean’s team focused on building secure workflows that enabled faster collaboration.

The result? Stronger adoption, less resistance—and fewer incidents.

📈 Explore how Bigleaf integrates seamlessly with existing firewalls

Why It Matters

Cybersecurity isn’t a back-office IT concern anymore. It’s a cross-functional discipline that touches every part of the business. And when CISOs like Dean Sapp lead with clarity and empathy, they earn a seat at the strategic table.

Whether you’re a tech exec, a risk officer, or a growth-focused founder, this episode makes one thing clear: if you’re not treating cybersecurity as a business strategy, you’re already behind.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders looking to turn cybersecurity into a business strategy, not just a compliance checklist.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation to learn how Dean is reframing cybersecurity at Filevine—and how your team can do the same.

📚 Discover how Hanna Andersson maintained business continuity during outages
⚙️ Learn strategies to prevent network performance issues

Based on a podcast interview with Dean Sapp, Chief Information Security Officer at Filevine.